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In Luke 11, as Jesus cast a demon from a man who was mute, His detractors accused Him of doing it by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. In the course of His interchange with the crowd, He makes a statement that deserves further examination:
“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.” (Luke 11:21–22)
The interpretation of this passage is clear. The strong man is Satan, and the stronger man who overcomes him and divides his spoil is Jesus Christ. Jesus asserts that His ability to cast out demons by the finger of God is evidence that the kingdom of God has come to them. In His victory over Satan during His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus bound the strong man. It was after Jesus’ victory in the wilderness, at the beginning of His public ministry, that He began to heal diseases, cast out demons, make the lame walk, give sight to the blind, and even raise the dead. Because He alone was victorious over the strong man, He alone can plunder his goods. Every deliverance, every person healed, forgiven, restored, and made new, is evidence that Jesus has overcome the strong man.
Christ’s victory over the strong man while tempted in the wilderness was a decisive early victory in the campaign to defeat Satan and provide salvation for all who would ever trust in Him and believe. It anticipated His victory on the cross and over the grave. It looked toward the final consummation of all things in the second coming of Christ and His eternal reign.
The implications of this truth are a great encouragement. His victory over the strong man means that even demonic forces will never subject you and me to their control. There will never be a circumstance in which we are unprotected or vulnerable to ultimate defeat by the forces of evil. Jesus has bound the strong man.
As one who trusts in Jesus, I long to see His power in spoiling the goods of the strong man go forward in my life. I want to put off the old self and put on the new self (Eph. 4:22–24). I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Rom. 12:1–2). I want to give myself as a living sacrifice to this strong deliverer. Christ’s victory over the strong man gives me hope of substantial and lasting change. As we wrestle against the forces of evil, we do so knowing that Jesus has bound the strong man. This truth is an impetus for pursuing the disciplines of the Christian life.
Christ’s victory over the strong man is the assurance that you and I will continue to grow in grace. In the words of Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”