Our Spiritual Warfare

1. Christ, the Stronger Man, has overcome Satan
2. Demons continue to assault us, therefore we can’t be neutral
   1. If we don’t positively side with Christ, we will lose
3. Therefore, remain firmly in Christ’s kingdom and smite the foe

The spiritual warfare of our age is quite intense. Perhaps we don’t always call it that, we’ve got all sorts of medical, psychological, sociological, and social terminology and buzzwords that get brandied about, but what we’re experiencing is spiritual warfare. The 19th and 20th centuries were such materialistic ages that we’ve often scoffed at the idea of interpreting social trends, philosophical movements, and geopolitical events as various skirmishes in our spiritual warfare, but they are. I think we instinctually know this. We may not be able to always articulate how and why these things are spiritual assaults against our souls, but we can feel it in our bones. Afterall, Satan hates life, and so the general despondency and malaise prevalent among the populace should be a dead giveaway that Satan is at work in the most underhanded ways.

So, given the circumstances of our spiritual warfare, these first three Sundays of Lent are gloriously encouraging and comforting as they remind us over and over and over again that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Stronger Man who conquers Satan. Two weeks ago we were reminded that the Lord Jesus suffered the temptations of the devil in the wilderness and overcame those temptations with the Word of the Lord. Last week we were reminded of the faithful Canaanite woman, whose daughter was suffering with a demon, but through her enduring faith in Jesus the Lord once again cast out the devil. Today we see Jesus casting out a demon from a mute man, and the Lord Himself instructs us in the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged.

What comforting words Jesus says to us: “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.” In this parable the strong man is Satan, the Stronger Man is Jesus, and you are the spoils of war that Jesus has plundered from the devil’s palace. 

The promise of this victory was given to the church when the Lord threatened the devil, saying in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Indeed, Jesus is that offspring from Eve! Our Lord, the Stronger Man, sweat drops of blood in Golgotha, was brutally beaten and tortured in the Praetorium, was stripped in humiliation and affixed to the cross with nails, and finally sighed His last breath and gave up His Spirit in death. His heel was bruised! Yet, He is the Stronger Man, and it was through the shedding of His blood that He struck the final blow and crushed Satan’s head! Jesus, the Stronger Man, cast Satan down from his throne by the finger of God and ushered in God’s Kingdom.

The Lord was merely bruised, and so from the tomb He rose victorious. Satan’s palace is but a grave, and Jesus plundered the graves of all who belong to Him, and took His precious treasure from death to life! Jesus is the thief who comes in the dead of night, breaks into the devil’s house of death, and steals you away! Upon you a light has shone and the kingdom of darkness has lost its treasure when Christ brought you out of the darkness of sin and into the splendor of His heavenly righteousness. Take heart, dear friends, for the Stronger Man has overcome the strong man, and gathered you into His everlasting kingdom. In this spiritual warfare we have a champion who reigns victorious against the powers of hell.

Nevertheless, just because Jesus reigns as the Stronger Man, recognize that this spiritual warfare is ongoing, and as such we must side either with Christ or with Satan. Demons shall continue to assault us unto the end, and we cannot hold a neutral position in this war. Jesus explained: “every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?” Satan understands this basic principle, and he will not permit anyone to hold divided loyalties; if he’s going to win you, he will win you.

Jesus likewise will not accept anyone straddling the fence. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” There have been so many so-called Christians who have attempted to remain neutral in this spiritual war. For quite a while many thought they could claim to be spiritual, but not religious; as if they could privately believe in God, but not ever put that belief into practice. There are many Christians still today who claim the name of Christ, perhaps hold membership at a congregation, or who occasionally attend a church service, or were baptized and maybe confirmed, but never read the Bible or say a prayer, couldn’t tell you any of the blessings of the sacraments, don’t submit their lives to scripture, and otherwise attempt to claim Christianity without following Christ’s teachings. How many more attend services regularly but refuse to amend their lives and be conformed to the image of Christ? How many attempt to straddle the fence and have a foot both in Christ’s kingdom and in Satan’s?

Test your own heart, dear Christian, and see if you too have fallen prey to this satanic lie that you can be neutral or lukewarm in your faith. Heed Christ’s warning that those who are lukewarm He shall spit out of His mouth if you are neither hot nor cold. Remember, just because you have been saved and have repented of your sins and begun a new life, that doesn’t mean you needn’t concern yourself with Satan’s attacks any more.

Jesus explains how demons continue to work among Christians: “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” 

When one belongs to Satan, he doesn’t need to work terribly hard to keep that individual since that soul is dwelling in darkness. But when one has been made a Christian, and the unclean spirit has been cast out through the waters of holy baptism, demons must work ever harder to recapture it. If that Christian ceases to be a Christian and the Holy Spirit no longer dwells in him, well nature abhors a void, and that soul shall be filled with a demon.

Let us take this lesson of Jesus to heart, so that we wouldn’t grow lax in our faith and let down our guard. The Christian life and spiritual warfare is never stagnant. When one temptation has been overcome, another rises to take its place. Demons and temptations are like flies or mosquitoes, and no matter how many you swat another takes its place to pester you. This is why the devil is called Beelzebul, which means lord of the flies, or lord of the dung heap around which flies swarm.

So in your spiritual warfare against Satan’s noxious attacks, obviously avoid the dungheap of sin where demons dwell in a blanket of flies. But what’s more, live as those who are blessed. Jesus says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Open up your Bible and read it. If you don’t already have a routine of reading your Bible, when you get home today go retrieve your Bible and a bookmark, place the bookmark in Matthew chapter 1, and set the Bible at your dinner table. As soon as you finish eating, pick up the Bible and read one chapter. Then continue to read another chapter each day. Why should you do that? Because that’s the first part of being blessed Jesus says! That’s spiritual warfare! Your souls are at stake, and the devil, that stupid fly, doesn’t quit, so neither can you. Christ has already plundered Satan’s palace, so for the sake of your soul don’t return to his kingdom of darkness, but live forever in the light of Christ’s grace.

Continue this spiritual battle over your soul every day. When you experience sorrows and trials, when you experience opposition from your flesh, when you grow bored with godly things, when you are depressed and scared, when temptations strike near to your heart, when doubts assail you, then be assured that you are in fact engaged in battle with the devil! But also be assured that if Satan is sore oppressing you it means that he sees you as a threat to his palace of death! So also be assured that God is also working through His Word in bringing about great things through those battles! You are blessed when you strive against Satan!

When the final conflict over your soul draws near, when Satan attacks you with images of death and hell, then hear and believe the Gospel! Christ, the Stronger Man has chained Satan in prison, and He has released you from the demon’s icy grip of death through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. So when you, like Christ, breathe one last weak sigh in faith, you shall finally shove off Satan’s grip, never hearing his hellish buzzing in your ears again, and enjoy a blessed rest in the kingdom of God.