Sermon: Competing Kingdoms
Text: Luke 11:14-28
Occasion: Lent III
Where: Arbor House
When: Sunday, Feb 27, 2005
Where: Providence REC
When: Sunday, Mar 6, 2005
Where: TI Morning Prayer
When: Friday Mar 11, 2005
Who: Mark Woolsey
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I. Intro
As we have entered the holy season of Lent, you will notice how stern the readings have become. Today we hear about demon possession, Jesus’ rebukes, wickedness compounded, and more. This is a time to examine our lives, to take St John’s admonishment with renewed emphasis when he says:
"Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (I John 3:3)
Examine your lives, repent of your sins, and believe in the only One who can deliver you.
Today’s Gospel presents us with some very interesting facts. It is primarily a description of the conflict between two kingdoms, two opposing armies, Christ’s utter defeat of Satan, and the relationship of these to the word of God. However, we need to be careful how we interpret this passage or we will miss it’s main purpose.
II. "Ademonism"
First of all, we need to have a proper understanding of demons and their work. For the most part today we are, if I may make up a new word, "ademonists". Just as an athiest is one who disbelieves in God, so an "ademonist" is one who disbelieves in fallen angels. These people, if they believe the Bible at all, treat all encounters with demons in the Bible as simply "prescientific attempts to explain various sicknesses or other catastrophes". This, of course, is great strategy for Satan because who will be on guard against an enemy that he does not think exists? In fact, Martin Luther makes the point that if your Satan is too small, then your God is, too. If Satan does not exist, or is of no consequence, then who needs God to defeat Him? From the Gospels and Acts, however, we learn that demons are intelligent and wicked but bodiless beings who ever desire to injure us and redirect our worship from the one, true, Triune God, to themselves or something else. They are personal, having desires and wills, and work in concert with each other. They consciously, rather than simply by instinct, make plans and execute them. We must be always viligent against their wiles.
III. Exorcism manual?
Well, if ignoring the devil is bad advice, then misunderstanding his works and intentions is no better. There are those that read passages such as today’s and conclude we need to do the same thing today. Since we are to imitate Jesus - just as our Epistle reading tells us - then we should pray to cast out demons. Indeed, sickness and calamaties all trace their origin back to Satan and his original disobedience. There still may be times for exorcism. However, much more insidious is the devil’s attack upon the Gospel. If we see this section of the Bible as a manual for casting out demons of muteness and other such maladies, I think we miss it’s main purpose. The devil’s primary purpose against us is not simply to harm us physically, but to damn us forever, attempting to frustrate God’s work. As John says in his Gospel:
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (Jn 10:10)
IV. True Spiritual Warfare.
When we read that Jesus cast out a mute demon, not only do we take it at face value - which is very important - we also must realize this is a lesson for us. What Jesus accomplished in the physical realm the church needs to carry out in the spiritual. In all of Scripture, the main concentration of physical, demonic activity is when our Lord Himself was physically on the earth, and shortly thereafter. Many times the Scriptures illustrate our spiritual woes by manifestations in the physical. When the Bible records that a mute demon was afflicting someone, we need to see that to this day Satan mutes the praise of God by shutting up people’s mouths. When we see our Lord speak a word and cast out this demon, today we need to faithfully proclaim God’s word to this world so that more mouths may lift up worthy praise to their Creator. Is your praise of God muted? Do you neglect to offer up joyous worship to Him on a regular basis? If so, get out the Psalter and speak His words back to Him. That’s what we are doing today.
V. Grace Alone.
Another thing we need to notice about this confrontation between the two kingdoms is that there are no half-measures. How many times have you heard it said that Jesus waits patiently outside the door of your life, knocking on it and desiring admission? That he’s a gentleman and will not come in unless He’s invited? Let me illustrate:
Now let me present to you another scenario about Jesus and the door of your heart:
Let me read to you again verses 21 & 22 from our Gospel passage and you tell me which of the previous illustrations best refect it:
"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."
Now tell me, which of the illustrations between Ian and me best reflects the meaning of these sentences? Who’s in charge of this house, which represents out lives? Us? No! It’s Satan, controlling all aspects of us. Do we even have the ability to get up and let Jesus in, if He really did knock politely? No, and thousand times no! Our only deliverance depends totally upon the grace of God to not only take the first step, but the second, the third, and so on until Satan is completely defeated. Do you think the strong man will let you or me do anything to disturb his reign? No - Jesus must do it all. And when He does, it is complete, total, and final. Satan is bound, and may not bind us again.
Then what about the next passage where we read:
"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ’I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked then himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first"
Notice in this passage that the strong man is not bound - he simply goes from the house. I am indebted to Matthew Henry’s commentary for pointing this out. We at times find relief outside of Christ from our woes, but it is at the pleasure of the strong man himself, and it is always temporary. You can be sure that he will return - who wants to live in a desert? - and with him will be misery compounded upon misery. However, when Christ comes with His Gospel of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone, you can be sure that Satan’s hold over you is broken, never to be rebuilt. You will still struggle in this life because there are always "cleanup" operations to complete. Just as in Iraq where our forces completely destroyed the enemy and took over the country, but we still have to fight an insurgency, so we will continually be in battle against sin in this world. St John says:
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." (I John 2:16)
and
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (I John 1:8)
Yet we have this promise from the lips of Jesus Himself:
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
St John himself adds later:
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith." (I John 5:4)
Just as our corrupted flesh remains an occasion for our downfall, so the holy and blessed flesh of Christ remains our salvation. It ever delivers us and sanctifies us in our walk here on earth. No longer can Satan rule us - eat this bread, His flesh, and let Satan deceive you no longer.
Some of you may have questions from time to time about your own relationship to God, about how sins are forgiven, about heaven, hell, and life after death. If these or any other questions trouble you, please feel free to ask me for a visit, or talk to me right after this service. I will be glad to answer all the questions that I can.
This is the word of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Soli Deo Gloria!
