THE
STRONG MAN
AND
THE STRONGER MAN
Luke
11:21-28
Luke
11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But
when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from
him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
Susie: Let’s
define some terms before we delve into the significance of this verse:
· Strong
man = Satan
· Palace
= this world
· Goods
= unbeliever’s lives
· Stronger
man = Jesus Christ
· Armor
= the crafty wiles Satan uses to keep people under his rule
· Spoils
= those who trust in Jesus for deliverance
Susan: One of Satan’s titles is “prince of this
world” which is why the Lord speaks of the strong man’s palace.
John
12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be
cast out.
Susie: Satan
is under the mistaken assumption that his goods, the people under his control,
cannot be stolen from him since he has great power in this world. However,
there is One greater.
Susan: Jesus
overcame Satan by the power of His own blood as the final Passover Lamb.
Susie: Satan
is a defeated foe, but he has not quit struggling. He still exerts power in
this world, but he will ultimately be cast out into the lake of fire. Jesus has
the power to disarm him and take back the people he has deceived.
Colossians
1:12-14 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom
we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Isaiah
53:12 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Luke
11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me
scattereth.
Susie: This
teaching of Jesus is recorded in other places in scripture as well.
Matthew
12:30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me
scatters.
Mark
9:40 For whoever is not against us is for us.
Luke
9:50 "Do not stop him," Jesus replied, "for whoever is not
against you is for you."
Susan: There
is no neutral ground when it comes to Jesus. There are no fence dwellers
allowed; complete allegiance is required. The following quote expresses it
well:
The
IVP New Testament Commentary Series: entire article may be found
at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=LUke+11%3A21-28&version=KJV
There
are no Switzerlands in this cosmic war. He who is not with me is against me,
and he who does not gather with me, scatters. Jesus says that neutrality to him
is opposition to him. To decide for God, one must decide for Jesus. In a cosmic
war there are no spectators; everyone lines up on one side or the other. The
implication is to be careful which side you choose. The miracles not only make
a statement about Jesus' authority; they ask a question about our response.
But
even where there is opposition, the opponents are not abandoned to their fate.
Evangelism is infiltration into enemy lines. Rejection is not a cause for
abandonment, since we never know when a Saul might become a Paul.
Susie: The
Pharisees had just accused Jesus of working in concert with Satan, so they were
definitely not for Him, but were against Him. Next Jesus explains what happens
after a false exorcist casts out a demon.
Luke
11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry
places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house
whence I came out.
Susie: Jesus
explained what happens when a demon is cast out of the human it has been
inhabiting. Like a hermit crab searching for a new shell, the demon looks for a
new person to possess, to dwell in.
Susan: The
demon wants to wrap itself in a new earth-suit. When it is not able to find a
weak and vulnerable enough person to use as its vessel, it gives up and goes
home to its old haunt, the original host person.
Luke
11:25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and
taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in,
and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Susie: Notice
that when the demon returns to the person, he finds the life swept and dressed
up. Sweeping removes some dirt but is not as effective as washing. The person
has done their best to clean up their act by their own power, but they have not
been washed clean.
Susan: The
person did their best, but self-effort only goes so far. The only effective
cleansing agent is, indeed, the soap of His love, the blood of Jesus. It is the
only cleaner that provides permanent results.
Susie: After
Jesus clears out our sin, He then fills our emptiness with His Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit continually cleans us from within and fills us up to the point that
no demon can enter in as long as we are yielded to Him.
James
4:6-7 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you.
Susan: Satan
still tries to wield influence over believers, to oppress them. However, the
Holy Spirit guides, directs, and strengthens us against the schemes of our
enemy, the evil one.
Susie: If a
person has tried to change by their own power and is not depending upon Jesus,
they are vulnerable. The demon not only reenters but brings his entire crew,
like a street gang to mess up the person worse than before. The only defense
against this invasion is to have the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit! The
Pharisees who performed exorcisms had a measure of success in getting the demon
to leave, but it was a temporary respite for the person. They did not preach
the power of Jesus or guide the person to that relationship. Therefore, the
person was left empty and still completely unable to please the Lord.
Luke
11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the
company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare
thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
Susan: This
woman in the crowd may have grown nervous about all the demon talk and wanted
to refocus the discussion to something pleasant that did not make her brain go
tilt.
Susie: Therefore,
she complimented Jesus’s wisdom by saying how blessed his mother must be to
have raised such a Son.
Luke
11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and
keep it.
Susan: Jesus
explained that His mother’s blessing did not lie in His birth, but in her
obedience to God and what He asked of her. We, too, are blessed when we obey
what God asks and fulfill His purposes in our lives.
Luke
6:47-48 Whosoever cometh to me, and
heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is
like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a
rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and
could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Revelation
22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Ponder
this an Apply it: Satan has power, but Jesus had more power. His
Holy Spirit living within us has the power to overcome Satan in our lives. Are
you tapping into that power source daily? Plug yourself into the Holy Spirit by
utilizing scripture, prayer, fellowship, and worship. When you face temptation,
ask the Lord to help you resist. He will show you how to escape it and live
victoriously for His glory. Two verses you should memorize:
1
Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye
are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may
be able to bear it.
1
John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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