Warfare

Warfare

Oculi, the Third Sunday in Lent – 3/23/2025

Luke 11:14-28

Rev. Christopher W. Brademeyer

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Gospel lesson from St. Luke’s eleventh chapter with special emphasis on verses seventeen through twenty-three which read as follows:

“But [Jesus], knowing their thoughts, said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.  And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatter.’”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson this morning presents us with a profound truth: there is no neutral ground in the battle between Christ and Satan, between good and evil. Jesus, knowing the thoughts of His adversaries, exposes the folly of their accusations and makes it abundantly clear—He casts out demons by the power of God, not Beelzebul. And if this is so, then the kingdom of God has come upon them. In other words, He is subtly accusing them of being servants of Satan, on the side of evil, and not part of the Kingdom of God, even though they suppose themselves to be of that blessed realm.

No Neutral Territory

Jesus speaks plainly: “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” If Satan were casting out Satan, then his kingdom would collapse. But Satan does not work against himself; rather, he masquerades as an angel of light, deceiving many into thinking they can be neutral, that they can straddle the line between good and evil. But there is no middle ground. You are either with Christ, or you are against Him. You either gather with Him, or you scatter.

This is a hard truth in a world that values moral ambiguity and personal preference above divine truth. People want to believe they can remain undecided about Christ while living as they please, that morals, at least considered in the abstract, have shades of gray rather than black and white. This is not to say that every moral decision is easy or clearcut, but that morality, as a general principle, is more black and white than not. In other words, there is objective, universal truth tot these things.

Jesus dispels this notion: there is no middle ground. One either belongs to the kingdom of God or the dominion of darkness.

The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

Scripture makes it clear that spiritual warfare is real. From the moment of the fall, Satan has been waging war against God and His people. And though the decisive battle was won at the cross, where Christ disarmed the powers of darkness, the war is not over. Satan continues to harass, to tempt, and to deceive. He stalks us, seeking to entice our sinful hearts into open rebellion against the truth, goodness, and beauty given by God.

We should not take this lightly. The devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. But we do not stand alone in this battle. Christ is our strong defender. By His death and resurrection, He has bound the strong man, Satan, and has plundered his kingdom. He has taken us, once captives of the enemy, and brought us into His own kingdom of grace.

How to Combat Evil

How then do we, as followers of Christ, deal with the ongoing presence of evil in the world and in our own lives? Jesus has given us the means:

1. The Word of God – When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He resisted not by displays of power, but by the Word. “It is written,” He declared, and Satan fled. We too must arm ourselves with Scripture, knowing that God’s Word is our defense and weapon against the lies of the enemy.

2. Prayer – Jesus commands us to pray, “Deliver us from evil.” Prayer is the action of a person of faith and by turning to Christ and crying out for His aid, one is enacting faith, in the most literal of senses is trusting in our Lord Jesus by seeking His aid and defense.

3. Reception of the Word and Sacraments – In Baptism, we are marked as Christ’s own. In Holy Communion, we receive the very body and blood of our Lord, strengthening us against all evil. In the hearing of the Word, our faith is fortified, and we are equipped to stand firm in the faith once for all delivered to the saints, that is, in Christ Jesus.

What Not to Do

Many, in their search for protection or control, turn to the wrong sources:

1. Superstition – Some think they can ward off evil by lucky charms, rituals, or mere external signs. But our trust is in Christ alone.

2. Magic and the Occult – The use of crystals, Ouija boards, séances, and incantations is not harmless fun; it is a dangerous and forbidden attempt to control spiritual forces outside of God’s will. This is what the Small Catechism in its explanation of the Second Commandment calls sorcery or the satanic arts.  Scripture is clear: such things are not from God but open doors to darkness. This is not because these things have some intrinsic evil value, but that the person who is using them has decided to look elsewhere than Christ for aid in confronting evil.

Christ is the Victor

Dear Christians, take heart! Christ has conquered. The victory is His, and by faith, it is ours as well. Though Satan still prowls, his time is short. We stand firm, not in our strength, but in the power of Christ. We resist evil not by our own might, but by clinging to the cross, where our Savior crushed the serpent’s head.

So let us be steadfast in the faith, unwavering in our allegiance to Christ. Let us arm ourselves with His Word, be constant in prayer, and find refuge in His sacraments. For the kingdom of God has come upon us in Jesus Christ, and in Him, we are forgiven and redeemed in His death.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] Matthew 11:17-23 English Standard Version