Casting Out Demons
Luke 11: 20 But if I with the finger of God
cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards
his own house, his possessions are safe.
22
But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor
in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.
23 “Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a
person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it
says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’
25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept
clean and put in order.
26 Then it goes and takes seven other
spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final
condition of that person is worse than the first.”
Satan is strong but Jesus is stronger!
Jesus indicates that one signal of a true ministry of
the kingdom includes the casting out of demons.
He models this in His ministry and promises it as a timeless sign
confirming the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom (Mark 16:17). He also
balances this aspect of ministry for His disciples who at first were amazed to
experience such power, exclaiming, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us
through thy name" (Luke 10:17). While affirming the place and value of
this ministry (vv. 18, 19).
Jesus still reminds them
of a foundational truth. Power over
demons is not the central reason for rejoicing; rather, their salvation has
registered them as heaven’s representatives.
That is the real grounds for authority in the spiritual realm. (Luke 11:2-4/Acts 1:3-8)
KEYS TO WISE LIVING
Be warned that returning to a past bondage
from which we were once delivered results in deeper bondage. Jesus’ teaching specifically applies to the
emptiness of Judaism in substituting reformation for regeneration. Israel will be in a worse state than
before. Once the nation rejects Jesus,
nothing is left to replace the vacuum except satanic deception.
11:20 The finger of God is a figure of
speech for the power of God. (see Ex. 8:19; 31:18;
Ps.
8:3).
11:21, 22 Satan is strong, but Jesus is stronger.
11:23 In spiritual conflict
neutrality is impossible.
11:24-26 Jesus likens the present "generation" (that is, circumstance
he addresses) to the man who has been exorcised. He is warning that a situation confronted by
His exorcising presence is liable to a worse state than before if there is no
fundamental reform. Jesus teaches the
peril of an empty life. The vacuum left
by the departure of an evil spirit must
be filled with the Holy Spirit, or else the individual is open to worse
demonic activity. The immediate
application of the teaching is to those who lack the spiritual discernment to
recognize Jesus as the Savior. In
rejecting Him they have nothing left but empty rites and ceremonies, making
them even more susceptible to Satan’s deception
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
No comments:
Post a Comment