Mat 12:22-29, The First Fully Equipped Spiritual Battalion.Sunday February 9, 2025 Introduction: Mat 10:7-8 “And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”
“Freely you received, freely give.” This is important for today, for you, the believer in Christ in the age of the church, are the first of those equipped by the King to fight against the ways of the devil after he has been defeated and dethroned. The King has given you Himself. Now Give Him to all others.
Main Idea: Christ defeated the god of this world at the cross, attaining victory and spoils.
Mat 12:22-29
Healing account is short - emphasis is on the reaction.
The response from the people is either a somewhat positive, “Could this be the Son of David?” or a more negative “Is this the Son of David?” leaning towards no. Perhaps there is a mix.
Son of David = Messiah. (Mat 1:1; Mat 22:42).
Background is the Davidic covenant.
Beelzebul = Satan.
The accusation is the final rejection. It is an unforgivable sin to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
Jesus acknowledges that the devil has a kingdom.
Jesus’ gracious appeal - the logic of a divided kingdom. It describes every kingdom in history, and it describes Satan’s kingdom.
He then adds is the very significant reality of that time: the kingdom is in your midst.
It was prophesied that the Holy Spirit would be put on Him. He is giving this to them and appealing to them. Have they considered that He is the Messiah?
Isa 11:1-2 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
Isa 42:1 "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.
He is the King, and if He is casting out demons, He has bound the strong man.
The true and promised King has entered the world (strong man’s house) and by the power of the Holy Spirit overcame the power of the devil (strong man).
Looking into the passage:
What I want to work on today, is how He went about binding him. We know that God could have executed judgment at any time.
Start with the true King who entered the world: He is Prophet, Priest, and King.
He was the foretold prophet. Joh 6:14 "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."
Deu 18:18 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you,
He is the one true King.
Joh 18:37 Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”
Satan before and after his fall:
Satan seems to have been a ruler of angels before his fall (very little is told us). He also seems to have led in worship. That would give him a title of ruler, or king, and priest, and as one who spoke for God, prophet.
At his fall, he would have lost all of this.
2Co 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Satan grabbed the rulership of the world from Adam. I don’t think Satan was a match for perfect Adam, but he could run circles around fallen Adam.
Joh 12:31 “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
That Satan seeks to speak for God (prophet) is obvious.
Satan has been allowed, for thousands of years, to attempt the creation of his own kingdom on earth.
Thinking time:
Satan could have been judged at any time. When he fell he sought to be a king, prophet, and priest to the world. Rather than just judge the fallen angel and lock him up, God allowed him to attempt to build a kingdom (and kingdoms need all three offices), and then God sent His own King into the world to be the true Prophet, Priest, and King and to display to the whole world, the devil and his kingdom included, how those offices really look.
Col 2:13-15 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Vv. 13-14 are the results of Christ becoming a curse for us.
In vs. 15 He made a public display or an example of them. We can link this to their embattled efforts to build a kingdom, Satan’s effort to be a king, prophet, and priest.
Disarmed them: took His rightful place. Made a display of them: showed His dominion through sacrifice.
Satan was unmasked at the cross.
Jesus’ Priesthood seals the victory while redeeming us as His bounty.
Jesus being and showing Himself as King and the Prophet are the key, but one we did not yet show: His Priesthood.
Heb 9:11-12 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
This is why Satan was defeated at the cross. Christ showed His priesthood as High Priest and the Lamb offering.
The cross was the revelation of God’s ways and the falsity of Satan’s ways. In this way, the Lord would bind him and eventually judge him.
The death of the Lord demonstrated the bankruptcy of Satan’s entire theory of success – power through pride and independence.
First battalion: church age believers (New creation / HS within).
[there is no binding of Satan by the way…]
Do you see the importance of your life? Not because the outcome depends upon you, but because you are of the first battalion to take the field as victors who are equipped directly by the King.
2Ti 2:24-26 The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
You are a member of first battalion. See how important your life is.
Think all, say all, do all that is from the King.
First Battalion: Learn, mature, serve all, witness to all, pray for all.
You’re to have an impact on the world run by a defeated king. Do you see how important you are? Be bold.
Eph 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
The devil blinds eyes from the gospel (2Co 4:4). First Battalion: Bold, constant witnessers of the gospel.
Satan causes division (2Co 2:11). First Battalion: unconditional forgiveness.
Satan teaches false doctrine (2Co 11:14). First Battalion: constantly live and teach the truth.
Satan motivates prolonged anger (Eph 4:27). First Battalion: Unconditional forgiveness.
Satan motivates conceit (1Ti 3:16). First Battalion: Live in true humility.
Satan casts fear upon (Heb 2:14). First Battalion: Fruits of eternal life.
Satan prowls to devour (1Pe 5:8). First Battalion: Stand firm in faith.
Satan motivates sin [include addiction] (1Jo 3:8). First Battalion: Live sanctified.
Satan snatches God’s word away (Mar 4:15). First Battalion: Constantly live and teach the truth.
Satan seeks to rule men’s hearts (Act 26:18). First Battalion: Teach the gospel and forgiveness of sins.
Satan motivates idleness (1Ti 5:13-15). First Battalion: Full-time Christian service.
Satan attacks marriage (sexuality; 1Co 7:5). First Battalion: Agape love, faithfulness to roles, and self-control.
Satan brings painful trials (2Co 12:7). First Battalion: Praise God’s strength when weak.
Do you see how important your life is?
This is how the Lord Jesus, the true King, binds the devil.
This is the result of Him accomplishing it at the cross.
He is Prophet, Priest, and King. He is your Prophet, Priest, and King.
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