The Kingdom Has Come!

After Jesus delivered a man rendered blind and mute by demons, the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan. Jesus first exposed the silliness of this charge by showing the Satan would not attack his own kingdom. Then He highlights the true significance of His ministry of demon expulsion: By rescuing people from bondage to evil spirits, Jesus has inaugurated a new stage in the reign of God on earth. From then on, even the simplest believer can withstand the assaults of Satan, even to the point of driving a demon out of a poor, possessed soul. In fact, the Early Church Father Athanasius pointed to this fact as a demonstration of the deity of Christ, for only one who was truly God could exercise such power and then delegate it to His followers. What does that mean for us today? Just as Jesus defeated Satan by the power of the Holy Spirit, so can we. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Clothed in the mighty armor of God, we can be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10), not only to withstand Satan’s wiles, but to do all that God wills for us (Ephesians 6:11, 13). The kingdom has come, because the King has come. Trusting in Him, we can overcome all of the temptations the devil may throw at us, and even expel demons from those he has fully possessed. As citizens of this heavenly kingdom, we rejoice in His reign in and through us, even as we await the full revelation of His glory.