Thursday Devo
Scripture Reading:
Luke 11:20-22
But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
11:20 Jesus explains that his casting out demons reveals that the kingdom of God has come. Jesus was plundering Satan’s kingdom (Luke 11:21–22; cf. 10:17–19) by transferring people into his own new kingdom. Jesus’ miracles, taken as a whole, indicate that the kingdom of God has broken into this specific time and place in history, as demonstrated by his life and work (cf. Mark 1:14–15; Gal. 4:4).
11:22 The one stronger is Jesus, and the “strong man” in v. 21 is Satan. Jesus has overcome him.
Jesus was able to expel demons because he had bound Satan, the strong man. Beginning with Jesus’ victory over Satan during the temptation in the wilderness (4:1–11), Jesus demonstrated that Satan was powerless to prevent him from proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and demonstrating the reality of its presence through his work and his words. Satan’s house represents the sinful world over which, until the coming of Christ, he had such power. Jesus has come to plunder his house and rescue people for the kingdom of God (see Col. 1:13).
11:22 The one stronger is Jesus, and the “strong man” in v. 21 is Satan. Jesus has overcome him.
Jesus was able to expel demons because he had bound Satan, the strong man. Beginning with Jesus’ victory over Satan during the temptation in the wilderness (4:1–11), Jesus demonstrated that Satan was powerless to prevent him from proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and demonstrating the reality of its presence through his work and his words. Satan’s house represents the sinful world over which, until the coming of Christ, he had such power. Jesus has come to plunder his house and rescue people for the kingdom of God (see Col. 1:13).
Study Questions:
- The first takeaway from Sunday was, "The enemy is defeated." Satan may have a long chain, but he's still chained. He can cause SOME damage, but the end is already written. Demonic stuff can be scary, but Jesus is living on the inside of you. And Jesus is the stronger man! Do you ever find yourself fearing unseen, evil things? Why would we fear an enemy that has already been whipped? How can you combat those moments of fear?
- Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. We experience a lot of fear in our lives... fear of failure, fear of death, fear for the health and safety of our kids, etc. We know that fear doesn't come from God, but comes from Satan. In your life, what do you fear the most? How much energy and joy does fear steal from you? How can you start to take back what the enemy has stolen?
Pray:
- That you wouldn't fear what Jesus has already defeated.
- That you wouldn't let the enemy use fear as a weapon against you.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
No Comments