THESE “HEAVENLY/SPIRITUAL” PRINCIPLES APPLY TO PUTIN, T-MAN, ALL TYPES OF “TYRANTS” AND “LEGIONS OF DEMONIC CONTROLLED HUMANS AND CREATURES”!!! ANY “BULLY” FROM ANYWHERE, FORM ANYTIME PERIOD, AND FROM ANY NATION=SAME HEAVENLY SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES!!! GOD HAS NEVER CHANGED HIS “LOGICAL/TRUE/TRUTHS”!
I AM CONVINCED, THAT 99/% OF THE “SO CALLED CHRISTIANS” REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE “WORDS” OF THE “little black book” FOR/OF WHICH THEY BASE SOOOO MUCH, OF OUR/THEIR LIVES AROUND, AND HEAR THIS “OVER & OVER” AND YET, YOU CAN SEE THAT “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” IS A “LIMPING ALONG/KICKING THE CANS DOWN THE ROAD OF “HATRED/BIGOTRY/DISCRIMINATION/SATANIC AND GREEDY/SELFISHNESS AND ALL OF THE “SEVEN/7 DEADLY SINS”! FAMILIES FACE THE SAME DEMONS, BLACK FAMILIES, EVEN MORE THAN OTHER CULTURES FACE THE SAME LEGIONS OF DEMONS, AND THE ASSIMILATED CULTURE OF AFRIKA BLACK PEOPLE, WHO HAVE BEEN “ASSIMILATED” PRETTY MUCH TOTALLY FROM HERITAGE/HISTORIES/LEGACIES/CULTURES=DON’T EVEN KNOW AND REALIZE HOW DEEP THE “DEVILS HAVE GRIPED, EVEN THE PREACHERS/WOMEN/MEN/MINISTERS/BISHOPS/REVERENDS” WITHIN THE GRIPS OF SIN AND EVIL!!!
In Matthew 12:22-29, where they brought Jesus a man possessed by a demon, the demon is the one who “binds” the strongman before possessing him. The strongman is the victim of the demon. The demon had caused the strongman to be blind (to the truth) and could not speak because of the possession.
Matthew 12:29
A House Divided
…28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. 30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.…
Parable of the Strong Man (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Strong_Man#:~:text=In%20Matthew%2012%3A22%2D29,speak%20because%20of%20the%20possession)
The Parable of the strong man (also known as the parable of the burglar and the parable of the powerful man) is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, found in Matt 12:29, Mark 3:27, and Luke 11:21–22, and also in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas where it is known as logion 35[1]
Text[edit]
In Matthew chapter 12, the parable is as follows:
Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.— Matthew 12:29, English Standard Version
In Mark chapter 3, the parable is as follows:
No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.— Mark 3:27, New King James Version
In Luke chapter 11, the parable is as follows:
When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe. But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armour in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.— Luke 11:21-22, World English Bible
Interpretation[edit]
In the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, this parable forms part of the Beelzebul controversy, where Jesus’s opponents accuse him of gaining his power to exorcise demons by being in league with Satan. Interpreted in this context, the strong man represents Satan, and the attacker represents Jesus. However, this is an opposite interpretation of what Jesus meant. In Matthew 12:22-29, where they brought Jesus a man possessed by a demon, the demon is the one who “binds” the strongman before possessing him. The strongman is the victim of the demon. The demon had caused the strongman to be blind (to the truth) and could not speak because of the possession. Many interpret this to mean that Jesus is the one who binds the strongman, but another interpretation is that it is the demon who binds the strongman before possessing him (his now-possessed illogically-thinking mind, as many people, including many Christians and theologians, have).
Jesus thus says that he could not perform exorcisms (represented by stealing the strong man’s possessions) unless he was opposed to – and had defeated – Satan (represented by tying up the strong man).[2][3][4] Craig S. Keener suggests that the parable relates to the common wisdom that “no one plunders a strong man,”[5] while R. T. France and others see the parable as echoing the Book of Isaiah:[6][7]
Can plunder be taken from warriors,
or captives rescued from the fierce?
But this is what the LORD says:
“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save. (Isaiah 49:24–25, NIV)
It has been suggested that “Beelzebul” means “house of Ba’al“, and that the image of the strong man’s house was originally a wordplay on this.[7]
In the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, which does not have the context of the Beelzebul controversy, the parable has been interpreted as merely suggesting that “the strong man must be free to protect his house and belongings. The thief must understand this situation in order to accomplish his goal of plundering. Jesus does not seem to oppose or condemn this person”.[8]. A significant difference is that the hands of the strong man are to be bound
All Christians acknowledge that the Gospels are vital for discipleship today. But interpreting and applying the Gospels can be difficult since they’re about things that happened a long time ago—“back then.” What difference do these ancient events make for our daily lives?
The Gospels are relevant because they showcase the victory that Jesus Christ, through his lifelong obedience, won on our behalf. The victory he won back then has cosmic and personal consequences that affect us right now.
To demonstrate such relevance, let’s turn to a difficult parable of Jesus: the binding of the strong man, as found in Mark 3:22–30. Although this passage can be a head-scratcher, it’s best understood as a parable explaining Jesus’s mission.
In Mark 3 Jesus’s mission is under attack. After announcing the coming of God’s kingdom (Mark 1:14–15), he begins to heal the sick, cast out demons, teach with authority, call disciples, and even forgive sins. But not everyone is happy with him. In Mark 3:22–30 the scribes challenge the source of Jesus’s authority, claiming it comes from Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Satan). In response, Jesus points out that his attacks on the kingdom of Satan invalidate the accusation that he’s working with Satan.
Jesus says he came to bind the strong man (that is, Satan) in order that he himself, as the stronger man (cf. Mark 1:7), might plunder Satan’s house. This is Jesus’s own explanation of the events we encounter in Mark 1–3.
But what did this binding of the strong man mean back then? And what difference does it make right now? Here are three key truths.
1. Jesus Came to Crush the Devil
First, Jesus came to defeat the Devil. We can lose sight of this point since the Gospels contain many stories. But at a foundational level the Gospels are about Jesus’s victory over Satan (cf. 1 John 3:8). Before we get to Mark 3—a text that features Jesus, the Devil, and the Holy Spirit—Mark’s readers have already encountered the wilderness temptation (1:12–13) featuring the same three characters. We’re therefore encouraged to read the binding of the strong man in light of Jesus’s obedience in the temptation episode.
So how should we understand the temptation episode? Most probably view the Devil’s threefold challenge and Jesus’s scriptural response as an example for us as we fight temptation. This is a valid application, and Jesus does indeed provide a model for us.
But is there more? When we read Mark’s account, we’re struck by how distinctive it is: Jesus was with wild animals and angels ministered to him. How is that a model for us? It’s better to think of Jesus’s temptation primarily as a unique event in the history of redemption when God’s anointed Son battled and bound the Devil as part of his kingdom work.
Reading Mark’s temptation account as Jesus’s initial victory over Satan fits well with Mark 3:22–30. Jesus’s explanation of binding the strong man employs kingdom language (3:24–27), and only after Jesus’s obedience in the wilderness does he announce the coming of the kingdom (1:14–15). Jesus is the king who establishes the kingdom on the basis of his own obedience. The battle with Satan isn’t over in Mark 1 or Mark 3 (Jesus will end up sacrificing his life to establish the kingdom fully), but a decisive blow has already been dealt.
2. Jesus Can Forgive Your Sins
Second, Jesus’s binding of the strong man means he can grant forgiveness of sins. We see this in the logical relationship between Mark 3:27 and 3:28. Jesus says that the one who binds the strong man can plunder the strong man’s house (3:27). Then he immediately says “all sins” and “whatever blasphemies” will be forgiven (except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) (3:28). In other words, the forgiveness explained in 3:28 is a result of Jesus’s binding of the strong man recounted in 3:27.
Though we don’t have space to discuss the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, we shouldn’t miss the incredible scope of forgiveness Jesus grants in 3:28: all sins and whatever blasphemies. Put simply, there is no sin or blasphemy beyond the scope of Jesus’s authority to forgive. Again, this wide-ranging forgiveness logically results from Jesus’s wide-ranging obedience by which he bound the enemy (see also Irenaeus’s Against Heresies 5.21.3).
Here’s the crux of the matter: Because Jesus is stronger than the strong man, he can offer those who trust him full and unfettered forgiveness for every sin.
3. Jesus Gives Life Where Adam Brought Death
Third, the literary relationship between the binding of the strong man and Jesus’s temptation shows us that Jesus is the new Adam who brings life in place of death. Jesus’s testing took place in the wilderness, the deserted landscape resulting from Adam’s sin. Jesus’s peaceful coexistence with the wild animals shows him exercising benevolent dominion over creation, which sinful humanity failed to do (cf. Isa. 11:1–9).
Whereas Adam should’ve cast out the serpent who called into question God’s Word, Jesus overcame the Devil—and indeed bound him (cf. Rev. 20:2)—as part of his faithfulness to his messianic task.
Adam should’ve obeyed unto life; instead, Adam sinned and brought death. Jesus obeyed fully, even unto death, and his obedience brings everlasting life. Jesus bound the strong man through obedience to God’s will. And only this fully obedient Savior has the authority to grant you life and forgive your sins.
PRAYER FOR KNOWING/UNDERSTANDING AND DISCERNMENT OF THE “TREES THAT ARE “KNOWN, BY THEIR FRUIT(S)”!!
