As we grow to be more like Jesus and encourage others in the same, our interests will change, the ways we do things will brighten, and our approach to everything—all aspects of our cultural lives—will be more and more to bring glory to God rather than to pursue mere self-indulgence (1 Cor. 10.31). Those who are being made new in Jesus will shed all remnants of worldliness, lust, squalor, and waste to use the culture of their lives to reflect the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Kingdom.

Pray for Your Church: Impact (5)

“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” Matthew 12.28, 29

Satan Bound

Jesus’ work of destroying the works of the devil was, in effect, a kind of “mopping-up” operation. Casting out demons, healing those ravaged with sickness, raising the dead, exercising sovereignty over creation, winning the hearts of lost sinners—all these good works which Jesus performed during His earthly ministry were not so much victories as demonstrations. Demonstrations of a victory which had already been won and of a final triumph yet to come.

When Satan confronted Jesus in the wilderness, before the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he came with all his guns blazing, hoping to win the Son of God over to his reign of darkness (Matt. 4.1-11).

No wonder Jonathan Edwards referred to the devil as the greatest blockhead who ever lived.

In three carefully-contrived and powerful temptations, Satan sought to gain the throne of God by gaining the loyalty of God’s Son. In each instance, he was rebuffed and, at the end of the temptations, sent packing to await his final doom.

In Matthew 12, Jesus referred to this incident as His having bound “the strong man.” He broke out all of Satan’s teeth, ransacked his arsenal, made a joke of his plans, and announced to the spirit world that it was “game over” for the kingdom of darkness. What remained for Jesus in destroying the works of the devil was to “plunder his house”—to take back for Himself and His Kingdom everything and everyone the devil had held captive. Jesus came to set the captives free and to reconcile the sin-darkened world to His Father in heaven (2 Cor. 5.18, 19).

That work continues today as those who are being sanctified in Christ Jesus and those churches which are growing in unity and maturity as the Body of Christ continue mopping-up the remains of the Lord’s victory, restoring the reconciled world to the Lord.

Facets

What does this entail? It means, for the churches of the Lord and all their members, taking aim at four primary targets, which have yet to know the Good News of liberation, and bringing the truth of the Gospel and the presence of the Kingdom to our world.

Read More