“The One Who Is in You Is Greater!”

   I’ve just been reading through the Gospel of Luke and I puzzled over the passage about the “strong man, fully armed.” Who was he? And then, who was “someone stronger?”

 

²¹ "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder."     Luke 11:21-22.

 

     The context of the whole passage is  the question of Satan being credited with driving out demons. Jesus basically says, “How silly! If he did that he would destroy his own kingdom.” Jesus is “stronger”.

 

     Remember the legion of demons that bound the maniac of Gadara, and Who overpowered them (Luke 8:29). Remember the woman bent over with scoliosis for 18 years (Luke 13:13). Satan had bound her all those years—but Jesus was able to free her with a word. And remember the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda. He had been crippled there since before Jesus was born (over 38 years. John 5:8).

 

     1 John 4:4 is the full expression of the power of Christ:-

 

⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them [the spirits of antichrist], because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

 

There is wonderful comfort to be had in this knowledge.

 

     Several years ago, Joy and I flew into Santiago airport in Chile. Some luggage was missing so we were delayed getting to the taxi rank. The taxis were all gone but we were

approached by a well-dressed man speaking good English. He was heading into town and would be happy to take us for a moderate price. We walked out to the parking lot and when he opened his trunk for our luggage, there, attached to the inside trunk lid but hidden from the outside, was a cardboard taxi sign. We got in the back, he got into the driver’s seat and at the last second, for no apparent reason, a huge man jumped into the passenger seat—we felt very threatened. We were about to be taken and relieved of our passports and cash!

 

     Now the adrenalin was flowing and Joy said we needed out! How could we get out? At this very moment a “real” taxi pulled up and blocked us in, with the driver wagging his finger at us, “No!” We showed the new driver a Google Map print-out of where we wanted to go, got into his cab, and were pleasantly and safely delivered to our hotel in Santiago. We thanked him, gave him a good tip, and never saw him again. We are sure God sent this driver, and easily stopped the dangerous, perhaps deadly plans against us. We still shiver, but often thank the Lord for preserving us. Once again, “the One Who is in you is greater!”