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Luke 11:16-23
Jesus states in Luke 9:50 that those who are not against Him are for Him, but here He adds another, and more personal note to this saying. In Luke 11:23 Jesus states that there is now a choice to make. One can no longer set back and ride with the crowd. Each person is now faced with a personal choice; to be with Jesus or against Jesus. There is no “gray” area.
In the passage of Luke 11:16-23 Jesus speaks of a kingdom that is divided and teaches that it cannot stand in a divided condition. A kingdom must work together for the same purpose or else the kingdom is divided. If a kingdom is divided, it will eventually fall.
As Jesus has been accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus uses this example of a divided kingdom to explain to the people that He cannot be from Satan because a ruler of a kingdom would not seek to destroy his own kingdom (Luke 11:17-18). Jesus uses this example to show the people that He truly has been sent from God (Luke 11:20).
Satan represents the strong man in Luke 11:21 as he guards his house (this world). But Jesus represents a stronger man (Luke 11:22) that has come to take the things that Satan is guarding in his house (man) and set them free from his control. Jesus has stated in John 3:17 that He has come to save the world from sin. Satan is who Jesus came to save the world from.
This is an example of the power of Jesus being greater than that of Satan.
This is an example that Jesus will set us free from the grasp of Satan.
Jesus claimed victory over Satan (as the Godman) when He overcame being tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) and ultimately when He died a sinless death on the cross and then arose victorious from the grave (Luke 24:1-12). Jesus is giving an example here to show us that He will set us free from the grasp of Satan if we will put our trust (faith) in Him and ask of His forgiveness as we make a commitment to strive each day to seek His guidance in our lives and follow Him.
Dear Lord,
Jesus has stated that if we are not for Him, we are against Him. Please help us to see that we each need to make a personal commitment to follow Jesus as we put on a new life of forgiveness in Christ Jesus, who has come to set us free from sin and the grasp of Satan. In Jesus name I pray, amen.