Lucifer, the Strong Man
1986
Matthew 12:29 Jesus said, “Again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.” Now, who is the strong man that Jesus is referring to here? Any idea? Who is the strong man he is talking about in this context? Did you pick up on that one? Who is the strong man?
He’s talking about casting out demons here. He’s being accused of being satan, because after all, satan can cast out satan. Jesus said, “Now wait a minute. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. How in the world could I be satan? If I was satan, then I’d be destroying my own household, and that doesn’t make any sense.” He said in verse 29, “How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions (which is what he is doing, he is entering the strong man’s house, carrying off his possessions) unless he first ties up the strong man? Then, he can rob his house.”
Satan is the strong man here. Now, is satan a strong man? Yes, he is. He’s very strong. In fact, Jesus talks about him in verse 26 about his (satan’s) kingdom. He said, “If satan drives out satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand.” So, if satan has a kingdom, what does that make satan? A king. That’s what it makes him. By God’s own words, satan is a strong man, and in fact, a king. Back in Ezekiel 28—the history of satan. He is the anointed cherub that covers—THE anointed cherub. He was Numero Uno in all God’s creation. He is the most intelligent created being that God ever created was Lucifer. The strongest, most powerful being that God ever created. The most beautiful of all God’s creation. Remember his robe, his clothing of many precious gems and he was actually a musical instrument (some translations seem to say). So, Lucifer was the number one of all God’s creation and the most powerful of all. The anointed cherub that covers. He was God’s right hand archangel, if you will. Right there. Lucifer, we read in Isaiah 14 that seems to make reference to this person, this angel called Lucifer, says that Lucifer got prideful. He looked at himself and he began to think that he was somebody when he was nothing. He was filled with pride and he wanted to start making his own decisions—he wanted to be big cheese. He wanted to be the Big Man himself. He wanted to ascend up into Heaven and take God’s place and make his own decisions.
That is exactly why something that seems as basic as refusing to let God make the decision of where we live or what job we have, or who we marry, or anything like that—we say, “Well, that’s no big deal—it’s just a little thing in life.” It is a big deal. The refusal to be immersed, the refusal to confess Christ as Lord—is the refusal to confess Christ as decision-maker. That’s what the word “Lord” means. And so we have become the same as Lucifer, as satan, and the little things aren’t little anymore. We’ve decided we’re going to make our own decisions. We’re gonna be the Big Man. We don’t need God telling us what to do.
It’s high treason. That’s why it’s condemned. That’s why the end of that is eternal destruction. Because we are ascending up into the heavens and becoming decision-makers when we don’t yield to God in areas of life.
So, Lucifer is prideful and decides he is going to make his own decisions. And then we see in Revelation 12:7 “And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.” That is, Lucifer. “The dragon and his angels fought back.” One third of the angels in heaven fell in line with Lucifer. Two thirds are behind Michael and his other angels. He’s not strong enough—the dragon is not strong enough—and they lost their place in heaven. “The great dragon was hurled down, that ancient serpent who is called the devil or satan who leads the whole world astray, was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.” v.12 “He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short.” v. 17 “So the dragon was enraged at the woman” (that is, the church). “He was enraged at the woman, and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.”
Satan was hurled down out of heaven and hurled down into the earth. And he’s decided to make war with those who obey God’s commands. Ch 13 says he was given authority over every tribe, every people, every language, and every nation. It says the dragon was given authority on earth.
An example of that is in Luke chapter 4. Jesus is doing battle with satan in the wilderness. “He was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tested by satan.” Verse 5 “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Jesus, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
Now Jesus heard satan say that all the kingdoms of the earth, all the splendors of all the earth have been given to me—and Jesus didn’t argue with him. He didn’t say, “You’re lying, satan. That’s not true. You don’t have that authority. You don’t have that splendor. You don’t have that ability to sway nations. You don’t have the ability to give me all of this.” Jesus didn’t argue with him. Jesus just said, “We worship God, that’s all. We worship Him only.”
Jesus could have argued with him, but it seems as if that except where God and the people of God intervene satan does rule the earth. Satan does own the earth that we’re living in. He controls the kingdoms of the world. Jesus goes on to verify that in John 12: 31. He calls satan the prince of this world. John 14:30, the prince of this world. John 16:11, the prince of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:4, the god of this age. And Ephesians 2:2, he’s called the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. The ruler of the powers of the kingdoms of the air; the spirit that is at work—he is at work—in those who are disobedient.
So essentially what the word God says is that—satan controls the lives of those that are disobedient to him. And the question certainly as we want to make application of this: If you are not walking in the ways of God today, then you are walking disobedient to God. Therefore satan, the prince of the power of the air, the ruler of darkness, is now at work in your life if you are walking in disobedience to God. You may not think so; you may think you’re all on your own, making your own decisions. But God clearly says that satan is at work within those who are disobedient.
Now, I’ve been there—I know what it’s like. It’s pretty tough. That may be what you’re thinking right now, “I’m pretty tough. I’m a pretty independent person. I can make my own decisions.” I don’t think you’re so tough at all. God certainly doesn’t. And if you thought about it, you wouldn’t think so either. You’re a slave. If you’re not obedient to God, you’re a slave. You can’t even control your own temper. You can’t control your eyes. They feel free to do things you know may not be right. You can’t control your pride. You can’t control your laziness. You’re a slave! You’re not free. You’re not so tough and independent. If you’re not a servant of God, you are a slave to satan—a slave to the devil. “He is at work in all of those who are disobedient.” And you know that if you thought about it. You are not even in control of yourself. Temper tantrums, you name it—you can’t stop those things, and you realize that. You’re a slave. You’re not free. You’re not independent.
I put a note up on my wall this morning. I was thinking about this whole thing, and praying some about it. My prayer is that you would come to realize that what i just said is very true. That within the next two weeks, I want all of you that are a remnant, the seed of God, to be praying—that all the demons in hell would converge on every person in this room who is hearing this message and refuses to be obedient to the ways of God.
I want you to know very clearly that God is at work in those that believe in Him. Your prayers aren’t answered and you are a slave to satan, pushed to and fro without any choice of your own. I want you to realize that. And I’m gonna be praying that all the demons in hell will converge on you for the next two weeks until you realize that you need to be in submission to God and not unto satan.
This isn’t a game; this is the real McCoy. I don’t want you to go to your grave realizing or thinking that you are the master of your own soul, the captain of your fate, because you’re not. Satan is at work within you—those of you who are disobedient. In Ephesians 6, it talks of that. Verse 12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (it’s not against bad habits, it’s not against personality conflicts, not against ideas or knowledge or doctrines), “but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” That’s who you’re battle is with—that is who my battle is with. It’s not against bad habits. It’s against the powers, the rulers of darkness, the rulers of wickedness in this world.
Is the point made—is satan a strong man? Amen?
