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LUKE - Christ, the Savior of the World
A Bible Study Course on the Gospel of Christ according to Luke
PART 4 - JESUS' MINISTRY DURING HIS JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (Luke 9:51 - 19:27)
8. Christ's Defense Against Those Accusing Him of Being in League With Satan (Luke 11:14-28)
LUKE 11:14-28
14 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 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. 23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. 24 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.’ 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” 27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Whoever denies the presence of Satan makes Jesus and his apostles liars, for our Lord cast out many demons by his word. And when Jesus came near the demon-possessed they cried with fear, “You are the Son of the Holy God.”
When Jesus saved one of the demon-possessed, the people were astonished, but some of them blasphemed, accusing Christ of being in league with the ruler of the demons, in whose name he cast out demons. They called this ruler, “Beelzebub” i.e. “Lord of flies” who seemingly had spirits as countless as the flies of the world. The crowd encouraged Jesus to perform a miracle, to try by his divine power to rebut the charge of his relation with demons.
But Christ overturned his enemies with his reply, and revealed to them some secrets of hell that are so simple that any human mind could understand them. A demon cannot cast out a demon, for unclean spirits are a fearful union. In spite of their hatred, yearning for independence, and intent to destroy men, they cannot do what they will, but are in bondage to Satan who is the spirit of the antichrist authority. This evil one is not divisible against himself. He dwells in his followers, and binds them in eternal bondage in his kingdom of destruction.
In the Old Testament, the Jews cast out demons in the name of the Lord God, for Satan runs away if men came near to God. The evil one moves away where man is faithful to his Lord. Christ testified of the righteous power of the believers of the Old Testament who will condemn those who deny Christ in the Last Judgment, for they rejected the signs of his divine power.
Then Jesus described how he cast out demons. He is the King of the worlds and heavens, sitting enthroned in glory who does not utter any word in the face of Satan, but with a mere movement of his finger, the hosts of evil run away quickly into hell, leaving the demon-possessed alone. In this parable, Christ mocked at the power of Satan who was like an army equipped with the latest weapons, guarding his barracks, imprisoning and enslaving whoever comes near his territory. Today, he entices millions of people into unbelief in God, worship of modern idols, and blasphemy that they may be filled with his evil spirit and become his slaves, as Christ said, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”
But now, everything is changed, for Christ came to our world, overcame the evil ruler, took all his armour from him: pride, selfishness, injustice, impurity, hatred, and lying, and released his slaves. Every believer in Christ is delivered from the power of Satan, and armed with the weapons of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, humility, service, faith, abstinence, and truth. As the followers of Satan are an evil union, so we became in Christ a holy union. Every believer is secured and protected forever. Do you resort to Christ and abide in your Savior?
The Jews of the Old Testament could cast out demons in the name of the Lord, but they neither overcame the evil one himself, nor gave new power to those they delivered. So he that was delivered became free again in body and in spirit, but later on the evil spirit would come back to him, accompanied by seven other spirits even worse than himself, and they come and live in that poor man. So when it is all over, that man is in worse state than he was at the beginning. In (Luke 8:26-39) we read Luke’s report about a possessed man whom Christ delivered completely. Christ granted us complete redemption from Satan. He can cast demons into hell (4:34; 8:31), and establish his Holy Spirit instead of unclean spirits in men, and thus their bodies become filled with the Spirit of the Lord with no empty space for evil spirits. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Which spirit dwells in you?
In the midst of this struggle between the spirits, a woman of the company blessed the Virgin Mary, his mother. Christ did not reject this blessing, but demonstrated the true glory in those who heard the words of the living God, took them into their hearts, kept them, and lived accordingly. Satan is overcome not by Mary, but by Christ alone. Christ does not teach us to follow his mother, but to study his words that their power may convert us, deliver us from Satan, and strengthen us to overcome the demons around us in his name.
PRAYER: O Lord, I am weak and sinful, but you are the Triumphant and the Holy One. Surround me and my house with your name, and deliver me from every evil spirit that your love may fill me, and we may worship you, for you have overcome Satan completely on the cross. We ask you who sits enthroned in glory to move your finger to cast out droves of evil spirits from people around us that they may become filled with your Holy Spirit.
QUESTION 81: How did Christ overcome (and still overcomes) Satan even today?