Ephesians

The Crisis of History

In Luke 11:22, our Lord introduces us to the solution to the problem of human evil: “But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him [the strong man], he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.”

Who is this stronger one? It is Jesus. He is speaking of Himself. He says that when a strong man (Satan), fully armed, guards his house (the world), his possessions (human beings) are securely kept within his grasp. But when One who is stronger comes (Jesus), He breaks the power of that strong man, and frees the possessions (human beings) from the evil strong man’s grasp.

This is the good news: Jesus is the stronger man who breaks the power of Satan and sets us free. In the mystery of the cross of Jesus, in the power of His resurrection, we who have been born into a world under the dominion of satanic forces are now set free. The power of Satan and sin has been canceled and broken. There is no other power that can do that but the power of the “stronger” man, Jesus. Jesus came into the world “to destroy the devil’s work” (l John 3:8). Paul says that God, through Christ, “has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13). This is what the gospel is for. If we try to channel it first into smaller areas of life, such as applying it to social concerns, we only reveal how far we have mistaken its purpose. The gospel ultimately finds its way there, certainly, but it must first and foremost make its impact upon this basic problem of human life—the problem of sin and enslavement under the dominion of Satan.

Our Lord reveals one other crucial principle in Luke 11:23: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” Jesus is saying that no neutral ground is possible. If you are not on the Lord’s side, you have sided with the enemy. If Jesus has not delivered you from sin by grace through faith, then you are still under the bondage and control of the dark powers of Satan. There are no exceptions.

Jesus Christ spoke of Himself as the divider of men. He divides nations, societies, communities, families, and even church congregations into two groups—those who are with Him and those who are against Him. Either you have received Him or you have rejected Him. Either you are a child of God—or you are a child of wrath. There is no middle ground.

Jesus has come to destroy the devil’s work. That is the nature of the real but invisible war that rages within us and around us. You must decide today. You must choose one side of the battle line or the other. Whose side are you on?