The victories of Jesus (1)

Thursday April 29, 2021

The victories of Jesus (1)

When a strong, well-armed man paints his house, what he owns is safe. But, if another stronger than him arises and overcomes him, he takes away all the weapons he counted from and distributes his goods to others. Luke 11:21, 22

The state into which man has been drawn into by his sin makes him a slave to Satan. While God had entrusted Adam with the management of the earth, Satan seized it after bringing our first parents under his power. So there needs to be a liberator to deliver man and creation itself from its hold. Having taken on human form, Jesus comes to accomplish this liberation. Satan understood this, so he used all means to prevent Jesus from carrying out the divine plan. Violence does not succeed, when Herod has the children of Bethlehem slaughtered, because Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt. Cunning is another of Satan's tactics. He uses it during the temptation in the desert, but Jesus triumphs through his dependence on God and his obedience. Then Satan employs his own agents - demon possessed men - by making them speak the truth ! They declare that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the Son of the Most High God (Mark 1:24 ; 5: 7). If Jesus accepts their testimony, he becomes dependent on the enemy. There too, the triumph of Jesus is total, because he immediately drives out these demons. So Satan completely changes his tactics : Jesus' detractors accuse him of using Satan's power to cast out demons (Luke 11:15). After this lie, the Lord exposes the allegory of the verse cited at the head :

The strong man is Satan, the prince of darkness.

The strongman's palace is death.

The goods of the strong man are those who have not yet regenerated.

Stronger than him is Jesus.

The armor and weapons of the strong man are the temptations and deceptions of Satan.

The sharing of the spoils is the deliverance of men by Jesus.

During the temptation in the wilderness, the Lord Jesus made the weapons of Satan not effective, so that he could deliver his prisoners and take them away from him. Many other victories will follow this first triumph, until the final one which will lead Satan into eternal fire.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)