The leader in the REAL Christian fight
The following three verses record an exorcism performed by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is so much to learn from these verses as they relate to us as we strike out against what we perceive to be the real enemy – political leaders. We must learn of Jesus and follow His lead in the REAL battle!
Mat. 12:22 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.
Mat. 12:23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat. 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
This exorcism by the Lord did not bother the Pharisees until they heard the people lift Jesus to the status of Messiah. Such praises aggravated these men and caused them to strike out against the Master by claiming Jesus was empowered by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Beelzebub was actually a heathen deity, referred to earlier by Jesus in Mat. 10:25, and one supposedly in control over the demons.
Mat. 12:25 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:
So often people are found guilty of judging one another’s motives. The problem lies in the fact that we often misjudge others. Jesus did not fall into this trap because He was divine and had the power to listen beyond a person’s words and to literally peer into the intents of their heart.
Thus, the advice Jesus was about to provide the Pharisees was accurate, sound advice. He knew the wicked intents of their hearts and was not about to let them get away with it.
The tactics of our enemy in the REAL Christian fight
There is a well used military strategy, “divide and conquer”. Jesus was about to use the meaning behind this saying to rebuke these ungodly religious leaders.
Follow the direction of the divide and conquer principle in Matthew 12:25: It begins with every kingdom, then drops down a level to every city within the kingdom, and then down to the individual unit of every house within the city of the kingdom.
Without exception, any organization will fail if it permits uncontrolled opposition within its own ranks. How many churches in recent memory have dissolved due to church splits that could not be resolved. I have never witnessed a church shut down in Canada due to a government law. I have seen plenty of churches close because the member could not get along!
Mark 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
What is a house but an external representation of the parties wilfully living in trust within the four walls. Whether it be the family house or the church house, it is to be the designated place of peace, safety, understanding, and sharing.
Satan has tried to destroy churches from without. He has used governments, police, and armies.
The amazing thing about outside attack is that it usually makes the church members on the inside stronger. We form greater bonds within our ranks. We have a common enemy, and it adds to our own identity with each other.
Perhaps that’s why Satan prefers to attack the church family from within. He uses our own flesh against us. Once we turn against each other it takes very little to destroy everything we have laboured so hard for. My greatest fear is not the condition of the members of parliament but rather the condition of the members of our church.
“A house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
Going back to our text in Matthew, Jesus is reasoning with those who are unreasonable. I believe He rebuked the Pharisees not for their edification, but for ours.
Mat. 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
The Lord openly declares that Satan is a person and that this person does indeed have his own kingdom. Let it be known that theologians may deny the literal existence of the devil, but Jesus never did. Jesus created him in the person of an angelic being.
The devil is real, and he reigns as crown prince over his own kingdom. This kingdom ruled by Satan is not a physical one like the kingdoms of men we see with our natural eyes, but it is every bit as real. It is a spiritual kingdom that occupies the spirit realm in which we cannot see.
There are two and only two of these spirit kingdoms. There is the kingdom of God (found in Mat. 12:28) and there is the kingdom of this world. No, the term world is not referring to the physical earth but rather the invisible spirit realm that exists down here. Paul mentions this spiritual world kingdom in Ephesians 6:12 and John mentions it in 1 John 4:4.
1Jo. 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Once again, they are not referring to the kingdoms of this earth but the satanic dark kingdom that overshadows this world.
The identity of our enemy in the REAL Christian fight
Eph. 6:12 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.
1. Principalities
“principalities” comes from the Greek word archē which is the same word we get archaic and archaeology from.
As used here in the Bible it refers to being number one, the principal person, the one who rules. In Ephesians, the term is transferred by Paul to angels and demons holding dominions entrusted to them in the order of things.
2. Powers
The word “powers” not only refers to the one reigning but also, the person who has been granted the lawful right to reign in a particular position. It is used in the plural of a certain class of angels.
Let it be known that even Satan and his generals can only reign because they have been granted such authority from God Himself. Let it also be known that such powers must be respected because they are greater than us.
3. Rulers of darkness
“rulers” = One compound Greek word: κόσμος (world) and κρατέω (to take hold of); the lord of the world, prince of this age: the devil and demons are called in the plural sense of the word.
“darkness” = lit. means night darkness; figuratively, it means holding ignorance of respecting divine things and human duties, thus producing ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell
4. Spiritual wickedness in high places
“wickedness” = evil intentions to do harm
“high places” = One compound Greek word: ἐπί (upon) and οὐρανός (the heaven); the heavenly regions, i e. heaven itself, the abode of God and angels.
This is supported by many New Testament passages using the exact same word. The following are two examples:
Mat. 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Eph. 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
So what?
Christian, don’t waste your effort in fighting people who are not the REAL enemy. Satan, who has been given power over this world during this time period from God is the REAL enemy. Satan and his fallen generals.
Our method of fight must be therefore changed from billboards, voting stations, and guns to discerning Bible truths and intense prayer for God’s wisdom and strength to witness for Christ in this wicked world.
As Satan attempts to disrupt the course of Heaven during this time, let us continue to disrupt the course of Satan’s world as he attempts to keep people blinded from Christ’s salvation.