Matthew 12 - 11.18.25
Scripture:
“Or 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 plunder his house.” Matthew 12:29
Observation:
These words of Jesus were spoken to the Pharisees because they claimed He was casting out demons by the power of Satan. He is letting them know Satan can’t remove Satan only Christ Himself can. This beckons back to Isaiah 49:24-26:
“Can the prey be taken from a mighty man, Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Indeed, this is what the Lord says: “Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of a tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons. I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, and they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And humanity will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
The Lord is our protector. He is the strong man. Through petitioning the Lord while in bondage, He storms through the gates of hell to rescue His children from all types of oppression and torment. He tears down strongholds on our behalf. There is no other way to do this without Him. It is at His name that every knee bows and confesses that He is Lord. When we find ourselves bound up, we call upon His name to be rescued.
In Colossians 2:13-15 the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Colossae because they needed to be warned about dangerous false teachings that were undermining the supremacy of Christ. He said “And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” To quote Paul once more “where oh death is now your sting?” Christ’s sacrifice on the cross bound up Satan, and rendered him powerless against those who are in Christ. It is through Christ that we find our victory, salvation and freedom.
Application:
When I find myself in various times of trouble, I call upon the Lord. I have walked through lots of tough seasons in my life from mental health issues, to physical health issues, to personal sin, and allowed my mind for a time to wander and the enemy took a seat at my table. Until I called on God and postured my heart toward Him, seeking safety and provision, He rescued me each time from those circumstances. We should call out to God not just with our mouths but with our hearts, fully seeking to be saved, prepared to repent and confess when necessary, or lean on community to be guided back to the cross, where the work is truly done at the feet of the Lord. Remember when Christ binds up Satan, we should submit ourselves to Him who is able and not return to captivity.
Prayer:
Lord, You are the God who saves. You are Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our banner. You fight for us day and night. You neither sleep nor slumber. You have showed yourself over the ages to be a God who loves and cares for His children. Your hand is not too short to save, and Your eyes to see the injustices we face. Incline Your ear to us as we follow in Your statutes. Answer us when we call and when we pray, according to Your will, lead us into your blessings. As Christ said in Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Keep Your hand upon us as You guide us through life’s trials. Thank You for interceding for us, thank You for loving us, and thank You for choosing us. Amen
- Shanese Hamilton
