Sep9
Matthew 12:29……….Working
12:29 “Or again, (another example, in-addition) how can anyone enter a strong man’s (Satan) house (domain, bodies) and carry off his possessions (souls that are in bondage, enslaved, captive to sin. To which Satan gained through trickery and deceit in getting Adam & Eve.) unless he (Jesus, believers) first ties up the strong man? (Satan’s power, authority, influence) Then he can rob his house. (Far from being in league with Satan Jesus came to destroy and undo the devil’s works. As the man who was blind & mute, but now made free. In a wider context Jesus’ binds the “strong man” by virtue of his sinless life, His teachings, His victory over temptation, His Saving & redemptive work on the cross. Ultimately to be fulfilled more fully when He returns .)
Continued From Book
“Teaches Satan may be strong & powerful, Jesus is stronger still. (Satan is mighty! but Christ is Almighty)“ ⇒ Satan is very strong. Satan is called a prince and god of this world,and not for nothing.-(2-Corn. 4:4) He has been a powerful and successful prince for thousands of years. He has succeeded in imprisoning the whole of Adam’s race deep within the dungeon of sin and unbelief. We must never underestimate the power of the devil. We must never take him lightly. His goal is to block God and His plans—and he will use every trick and every scheme he possibly can to deceive us and turn us away from God. The Bible calls him a “Roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8–11).We should never laugh at the devil. We should never think of the devil as a cartoon figure dressed in red with a two horns and tail. We must speak of the devil as of somebody who really does exist; and we must realizing he is very strong and very powerful-far stronger than you are, far more powerful than any of us, more powerful than all of us put together! He’s immensely strong, and immensely intelligent. No human being is a fraction as intelligent as the devil. He is absolutely brilliant, and full of evil, of course. He’s a deadly enemy. As strong as Satan may seem, as powerful as sin’s pull may be, as enslaving as our shame feels, as dire as our circumstances appear, Jesus is stronger. Satan is only a creature, but Jesus Christ is our Creator! Satan is present, but Christ is Omnipresent, all mighty, all knowing. Satan is full of lies! but Christ is full of light and truth. Satan is crafty, but not crafty enough for Christ. Christ is stronger than the devil as the God-Man: The whole Godhead dwelt bodily in Him.-(Col. 2:9) Christ is stronger Satan, filled with the wisdom of God and the power of God and the strength of God.-(1-Corn. 1:16-24) He was God manifest in the flesh(1-Tim. 3:16) Christ is stronger having sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.-(John 14:26, Acts 1:8) Christ is stronger than Satan, stronger than sin, stronger than shame, stronger than any storm, any suffering, any pain, any stronghold, stronger even than death itself. Jesus beat the devil with the big, wooden stick of the cross. He solidified His victory through His resurrection, breaking the curse of death Adam experienced when he gave way to the deceitful dictator way back at the beginning of human history. Jesus’ love and grace is one of those weapons and we are to express it in our behavior and speak it when opportunities to do so present themselves.
“Teaches the importance of spiritual warfare in binding Satan’s weapons and avenues of attack.” ⇒ We need to bind the strong man by shutting down Satan’s lies. The way we fight the darkness is by shutting down Satan’s lies with the truth of God’s Word. That we have been justified and forgiven by God. (cf. 2-Corn. 10:3-5) (Note: Spiritual warfare is only the method, the main thing is Jesus!)
“Teaches since Satan is already a conquered and defeated foe we no longer have to live in shame, guilt, and fear.” ⇒ We need to remember is that Satan is a defeated foe! When Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross, His enemies thought they had defeated Him—and so did Satan. But His resurrection from the dead proved the opposite! Instead, by His death and resurrection Christ conquered sin and death and Hell and Satan. And some day that victory will be complete, and Christ will come again in glory.
“Teaches how were not strong enough to overcome sinful strongholds by ourselves, we need Jesus’ help” ⇒ We might be able to overcome some things in our lives on our own and be o.k. for a little while, but then slip right back into the same old patterns again. That’s why if were going to make any real and lasting changes in our lives we need the Lord’s help. Our strength, our intellect, our work ethics, our gumption, is not enough to keep our home protected. We don’t need more counseling in learning how to deal with anxiety, addiction, and depression. We don’t need more programs. What we need is more of Jesus Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit as our protector.
“Even today, no matter how much were bound by addiction. No matter how much we’re bound by drugs, alcohol, and pornography. No matter how much we’re bound by shame, guilt, and despair, Jesus can set us free.” ⇒ We need to remember in our struggle for holiness, there will be opposition, but we are not helpless. We need to stand firm against every tactic of the evil one by Christ’s power and authority. When the demonic whispers corrupt inspiration into our ears, we need to stand in the authority of a son or daughter of the living God, and we need to rebuke the voice of temptation, binding and silencing it in Jesus’ name.
Additional Notes & Applications
Though Christ defeated Satan temporarily through the cross (Gospel) Satan’s complete defeat will take place when Jesus comes again to establish His kingdom at which time Satan will be bound forever. (Rev. 20:1-10, Matt. 13:36-43)
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