Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. [Mark 3.27]
Satan is powerful. Jesus is more powerful than Satan.
The context of this situation, according to Matthew's account today, is the healing of a man who was dumb and blind. The man's condition was attributed to the presence of an evil spirit. Jesus healed the man (s/a cast out the evil spirit). Jesus was accused of doing so by the power of Satan. Jesus responded by saying several things but most pointedly, "...if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand?"
Satan's 'modus operandi' is to kill, steal and destroy. He is also described as a liar and the father of lies. He will be found doing nothing else.
To the contrary, Jesus is described in 1 John:
But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. [1 John 3.8]
So, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil: lying, killing stealing and destroying. Jesus did this very thing in the context of this situation. He, Jesus, being the stronger man, entered Satan's house (his home - where he had every right to exist - fallen man), and plundered him. Jesus, being stronger than Satan, delivered the dumb and blind man from the evil spirit of Satan that had inflicted that dumbness and blindness upon him.
Jesus came to earth not only to do this miracle, but to set it in motion in the lives of all who believe for all eternity because HE DEFEATED SATAN ONCE AND FOR ALL.
So, the question looms concerning our lives: do our lives demonstrate the presence of a strong man (Satan) or the presence of the Stronger Man (Jesus)?
If our lives seems to have succumbed to the strong man (sickness, disease, destruction...), are we at least fighting the strong man with the power of Christ in us or have we simply accepted the strong man's presence as the way it is? Who is stronger? Christ in me or the power of Satan working against me?
The Apostle Paul wrote:
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. [Romans 8.11]
IF the Spirit of God - that same Spirit that Jesus ministered by and that raised Him from the dead - dwells in us, why would we be subject to the works of the devil (sickness, disease, etc.)? We wouldn't. ...Unless, of course we were deceived to think that Jesus is not stronger than Satan. And who would deceive us that way? Satan and those he has duped to propagate his ways.
Father in heaven, I believe Jesus is the Stronger Man in my life. I believe Your Spirit, Who made Jesus the Stronger Man, dwells in me - making me stronger than Satan (not "me" but the power of the Spirit within me). I will continue to fight the strong man as long as his presence is known - as long as his killing, stealing, and destruction (all cloaked with lies) continue. I throw in my lot with the Stronger Man and will not submit to the strong man. I will join the Stronger Man in plundering the house of the strong man. AMEN.
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