Power over the Demonic

MEMORY SELECTION: “What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.” —Mark 1:27

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Mark 1:21-34

IN MATTHEW 12:22-29 we are given a very revealing account of Jesus exercising power over the demonic. “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. [The word basilela, which is translated ‘kingdom,’ means ‘royal majesty.’ The Diaglott translates this phrase, ‘God’s royal majesty has unexpectedly appeared among you.’] Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.”

In this text the scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out devils by the power of the prince of devils. But Jesus pointed out to them that if this were true, Satan’s house could not stand because it would be divided against itself. But, Jesus continues, if he cast them out by the power of God, then this identifies Jesus as a representative of God’s royal majesty. Then in verse 28 Jesus implies that it is only by God’s power that devils can be cast out now, because Satan is the god of this world, with a power that is subject only to the power of God. Then he states that if he were to enter Satan’s house to spoil his goods, he would first bind the strong man.

When we realize that Satan’s goods consist of all the character flaws that we see manifest in fallen man today—pride, selfishness, jealousy, covetousness, etc.—we begin to appreciate the Lord’s plan to bind Satan at the beginning of the thousand-year millennial reign of Christ. He will be bound so that he can deceive the nations no more and so that the Christ can spoil Satan’s goods. “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.”—Rev. 20:2,3

It has been Satan’s design to destroy the seed of the woman ever since the prophecy was first made by God in the Garden of Eden. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15) God has permitted Satan to tempt and try the church down through the Gospel Age; but, as in the case of Jesus, each spirit-begotten child of the Lord is given power to resist Satan by complete reliance in the superior power of the Holy Spirit of God.

In Ephesians 6:11-13 we read, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

It is important that we understand that Satan usurped his power on earth and that God has permitted him to exercise control within certain defined limits. The limitations imposed are those things that might interfere with the development of God’s plan to reconcile the human race to himself, in due time. In the meantime God uses “the wrath of man” to praise him. “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.”—Ps. 76:10

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