Lenten Devotion for 27 March Anno Domini

14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Luke 11:14-28

When Jesus, with a voice more powerful than any other uttered in history, called out the name of Lazarus, Lazarus was immediately restored to life. There was no period of convalescence. He came forth promptly from the tomb that had heretofore not needed a door of departure – only an entrance. Now we read of Christ casting out a demon and, forthwith, the one who had been dumb spake in evidence of the demon’s hasty departure. There is no demon that can withstand the power of that Voice!

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils There will always be those of dark and wicked character that will dare question even the righteousness of heaven and assign questionable motives thereto. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). This horrendously evil motive these men assign to Christ rises to the level of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost! Beelzebub was the Philistine god of Lord of the Flies. They assign the power of Christ to heal the sick and raise the dead to this god whose only evidence of giving life arises from the maggots that hatch from the eggs of flies on dead bodies, or even excrement. The estate of these men is in the gravest of jeopardy.

And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. So what greater sign from heaven do these fools need than to see life restored to dead men, or sight restored to the blind, or demons cast out of the dumb? Yet, they are not seekers of truth for their motive is to tempt and not to trust. But Christ is not deceived by the dark and ugly hearts of these men for He sees clear down to the hidden filth of those hearts – He KNEW their thoughts before they spoke them. “A house divided against a house falleth” He now presents them with a dichotomy of reasoning: “If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.” This opens up a serious flaw in their argument and reveals the absurdity of their claim! Jesus’ question is rhetorical in nature – “If Satan also be divided against himself?” Satan’s kingdom is intact in the hearts of the tormentors of Christ and it is NOT divided else it could not stand as it does until Christ has dispensed with it.

But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. Christ is God the Son. His Finger is the Finger of God, and with that Finger, He cast out devils! Satan would never stand for his own to be cast out, so this is absolutely the power of God and not Satan that cast out devils. Every miracle, every pitched argument, proved the divinity of Christ. It was without question!

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: Jesus pursues the point even further! The strong man is Satan. He was the god of this world hitherto. But now a stronger than Satan has arrived on the scene. The goods of the strong man’s palace are no longer secure. But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. Christ has come upon Satan and driven him out. He has disarmed him and exiled him. No longer can Satan claim sole ownership over the souls of men. Christ has made remedy for their bondage in His Cross.

You may smugly consider yourself on better ground than these men who opposed Christ. But if your heart is not in commitment to Christ, think again! “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth” It is not enough simply to abstain from opposition to Christ – you must be in a committed relationship FOR Him and WITH Him!

Most of us have learned some basic points in political science lately. We have come to understand that a power vacuum will not remain a vacuum very long. A vacuum demands invasion! “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.” When a person turns away from his wickedness, he empties his heart and cleans it of the dreaded habits of immoral conduct. But he is, in fact, without power to do so. Even if he could do so, the premises are vacant and demand occupation. The outcast demon will return to that heart and bring along his decadent buddies! We cannot rid our hearts of sin! We must invite Christ to enter into all the hidden chambers of our heart and He will do the cleaning (sanctification) and, if the whole heart is His, there will be no room for devils!

And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.” Christ is teaching earnestly regarding spiritual darkness and evil. But this woman, though speaking truth, lowers the level beneath the dignity which the situation required. She brought in the carnal elements into an otherwise strictly spiritual discussion. Christ gently reprimands her: “, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” We may know the Gospel of Christ backward and forward, and many lost souls do, indeed. But knowing the Word of God, and LIVING the Word of God are not synonymous. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Rev 22:14) We are not saved by our good works – we are saved by Grace unto good works. If our lives do not evidence true faith in God, than the absence thereof is evidence of our lack of standing in Christ.