The Strong Man—The Stronger One

The Strong Man—The Stronger One

“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.

The devil, who is the strong man, has conquered mankind with his wiles right from the Fall in the garden of Eden. Because of man’s sinful desires and deceitful lusts, it was easy for Satan to cast people into all kinds of misery. He was able to inject evil into mankind because of their disobedience to God’s Word.

We can see Satan’s strength through the strength of man. We see pride, haughtiness, lying, hypocrisy, hate, and unrighteousness. In John 10:10 the devil is mentioned as a thief who has come only to steal, to murder, and to destroy. Think of the need and misery he has caused among people throughout the ages. In these last years thousands of young people have ruined their lives because of narcotics. They know it is dangerous, but they do not understand that the devil, the strong man, is behind it all as the evil and driving power. In the same way, alcohol has caused the dissolution of millions of homes, and the children have had to suffer as a result.

The devil is the prince of darkness, and in this satanic darkness he has driven people to commit the most brutal and gross evil. He has had enough “mercenaries” to carry out these evil deeds through cruel terror and slavery. Throughout the ages, weak and the poor have been ruled and exploited by imperious persons. James, in Chapter 5 of his epistle, writes that they will be judged for it.

The devil, the strong man, stood by God’s throne as the accuser of all mankind until Jesus—the stronger one—conquered him and cast him out. “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Rev. 12:9-10.

The stronger Man has conquered the strong man forever and has cast him out of heaven. Through a living faith in Christ he can also be cast out of the heaven of our hearts, never to enter again with his accusing spirit. Now our high priest and intercessor, Jesus Christ, the stronger One, has occupied the place by the Father’s throne.

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples received the Spirit of the stronger Man and in this Spirit they were able to overcome all the powers of darkness just as He had. Rev. 3:21. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1 John 5:4.

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love . . . .” Col. 1:13. He has disarmed principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them and triumphing over them through the cross. Col. 2:14-15. “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” John 12:31. “For the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” John 14:30.

Nothing of the evil power shall motivate us any more in what we say or do. The power of the stronger One shall motivate us in all that is good. Our body shall be the temple of the Lord where the stronger One has the authority. There is a power in the good that overcomes everything that is evil.

In 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul says that the love of Christ constrains us. It drives us far away from hate, implacability, dissatisfaction, and self-interest and into loving, serving, and giving. We can overcome all the powers of darkness with the weapons of light. The truth is a far greater power than the lie. We overcome all unrest and anxiety through the rest that comes by faith.