Strong vs. Stronger

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.” (Luke 11:21-22 NKJV)

How can we continually be saved? Here, a strong man indicates the devil and his goods, the people who are enslaved in his dungeon (palace). This is the exact picture of humans under the power of sin and death. All humans are born to be the state of slavery of the devil. That is the gift of Adam, the unwelcomed one. We were used to be in peace with the devil before receiving Christ. Jesus says to His disciples that they shall not be persecuted from the world if they were of the world. But they shall be persecuted if they were of God.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”(John 15:18-19 NKJV)

The situation is hopeless because the devil is strong, fully armed, and guards his own palace. He is craftier and more cunning than any other creatures in the universe. He is fully armed with deceitfulness and lie and intimidation and violence. He is like a roaring lion to devour his goods. Everyone in Christ Jesus understood how powerful that grip of darkness and death was. There was no way out, so we inevitably and always ended in frantic defeat and downfall no matter how hard we tried to get out of it.

The murderous devotion and commitment didn’t work out. The cry didn’t work out. The achievements and success didn’t work out. The entertainment and fun didn’t work out. The retirement didn’t work out. The wealth didn’t work out. The romance didn’t work out. But all but failures and depressions remain. The sensational guilt and condemnation ever choked and haunted us relentlessly.

When nothing else seemed to work out, there came the good news of gospel of God, Jesus Christ. Yes, Christ came as the Mediator and Deliverer. He came to the earth as a Man and laid down His life for the chosen ones before the creation of the world. He poured out His blood on the altar in the heavenly temple. God fully satisfied with the blood of the Son and cleansed and washed away all the stains of the believers. Jesus is a stronger Man who is able to overcome the devil, take all his armor which he trusted, and divide his spoils.

Jesus Christ paid the price as the atoning sacrifice to purchase back the lost children of God and give eternal life once for all. This is what happened momentarily we exercised the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. We have been born again in Him. We have been made the new creation because the old had passed away in Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

The good news is that We died to sin once for all, so sin shall not have dominion over us (Romans 6:14). We have been delivered and liberated from the iron grip of the devil by the power of God demonstrated on the cross in Calvary. And He continues to save us from all trials and difficulties if we exercise the heavenly gift of faith in Christ. He is able to save us because God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul exhorts us with the words of encouragement.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NKJV)

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless, Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 NKJV)