Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, destroy the devil’s power and lay waste his kingdom. Amen.
Text: Luke 11:14–28
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. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” And others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. 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. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 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. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. 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 than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” 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!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Devotion
Jesus clearly teaches that the devil has a kingdom to which all unbelievers and all evil angels belong. The devil rules over them and uses them in his service to war against Christ and His people. Paul describes such things in today’s Epistle: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, and the like. These things show that there is a devil. People who live in these things are servants of the devil. They don’t want to come to Christ to be freed from the devil’s power and desires, and so they remain slaves of the wicked spirit. But they are so unaware of their desperate condition. Do you think the Pharisees thought that they were the devil’s helpers? On the contrary, thinking they knew better, they accused Christ of driving out demons by Beelzebub, and all the while they were sure that they themselves were Abraham’s righteous children! It is a real art of the devil that he blinds men. That’s where he has his greatest strength, and he always uses the tactic of lying. In our day he has gotten many to believe that he doesn’t even exist. They are trapped in the unhappy service of sin. They live in pride, selfishness, and all ungodliness; they wear the mark of the devil on their forehead (Eze 9:4; Rev 13:16; 14:9; 20:4), – but they laugh at you for believing that there is a devil. Could he have a more secure hold on his people or carry out his plans any better?
Only Jesus can free us from the devil’s kingdom. He is the One stronger than the strong one. But the weapon is God’s Word. It exposes Satan’s lies and reveals his wicked purpose. It shows his abominable filthiness and his hellish tyranny and teaches us to recognize man’s unhappy condition in his service. With His Word the Lord drove the devil out of those who were bodily possessed, and with His Word He drives him out of human hearts. When His Word, which is spirit and life, abides in you, then the spirit of lies and death cannot abide in you. When the Word from the Lord’s mouth governs your heart and your tongue, then you serve Christ and reject the devil. And this is the Lord’s Word: God loves you, a lost and condemned sinner. Christ died for you and has made the devil powerless. You are baptized in His victory and righteousness, and you belong to Him, so the devil has nothing to say over you. Blessed are you if you hear and keep this Word. Then in truth you have what the Word says, and the Word shall keep you from falling back into the enemy’s power.
But how seriously it ought to weigh on our mind to serve the Lord, when we hear from His own mouth that those who are not with Him are against Him, and that those who do not gather with Him scatter! And in close connection with this comes His following shocking statement about the return of the unclean spirit to the heart from which he had been driven out! Let everyone ask: Am I with Christ? Do I gather with the Lord? If not, then I am with the devil, and thus I disgrace Christ’s work and destroy my soul and others’ souls, which Christ bought with His own blood! And do not rest before you have the testimony of the Spirit that Jesus has freed you from the power of the devil.
Closing Prayer
Lord God, teach us to know to whom we belong and whom we serve. Be gracious to us and let us serve You. O be gracious to us and never let the devil rule in us. God, guard all Your people from all his wicked ways. Amen.
Hymn
Each day I will be making
My journey through life’s way;
My need to God I’m taking
And from my heart will pray,
That He with Jesus’ blood
My soul may cleanse forever,
And Satan’s power sever,
Uprooting it for good.
God, let not love of sinning
Thy fear drive from my breast,
Lest Satan, triumph winning,
Be of my heart possessed;
O let Thy chast’ning rod
Each day give me direction,
To seek Thy sure protection
And tell Thy grace abroad.
My heart must Thou have solely,
My Savior and my God!
Come, Jesus, take it wholly,
And make it Thine abode!
Mold it to Thy control,
That I, Thy Word receiving,
May find, in Thee believing,
Salvation for my soul.
Kingo: The kingdom Satan founded L 282:6-8 ELH 259:6-7 tr. DeGarmeaux and C. Døving tune: Aus meines Herzens Grunde