19/09/2019 - DISARM THE STRONG MAN

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When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. Luke 11.21

It´s incredible, but we give ammunition to the devil, the strong man, through impure words, deeds and thoughts. From then on Satan “keeps our goods to himself.” However, when we understand the value of repentance, confess our sins and stop committing them, we take away the prerogative of the evil one to retain our “goods”: soul, body and spirit. Thus, he cannot act against us!

The biggest mistake always follows the first one, which sometimes, we did not even think of committing. Instead of praying and asking for divine forgiveness, we feel we had the courage to sin, but not to confess, because if we do, we will be in the hands of the person against whom we erred, and at most we confess to God and think we are forgiven. However, as the days go by, a guilty feeling comes back and we lie when we declare we are not wrong.

The problem is not obeying the Word of God, which commands us to seek the person offended and to get right with them (Matthew 5:24); then the day comes when we are delivered into the hands of the tormenting spirits, and our life becomes like hell. Now, he who had the courage to err must also have the courage to deal with the one whom he has defrauded, otherwise he will not be forgiven or freed from the strong man whom he has come to serve when sinning.

Once you know the Lord´s way to recover man from the shame of being discovered, he who commits an offense, like Achan, opens the floor of his tent and secretly buries the Babylonian cloak, the gold and silver wedge which he took for himself (Josh 7: 20-26). However, on Judgment Day, everything that was hidden will come to light, and their sin will be revealed. Why not get rid of it now? Now, the evil you committed, enabled Satan to keep you in captivity.

After sinning and refusing to repent, you or a family member will be attacked by a demon with illnesses or other evils. Then you will cry to God and, without obtaining the expected result, you will accuse a servant of the Lord of not delivering you. As in salvation, when you believe in Jesus and are saved, and your household is benefitted, if you do not repent of your transgressions, you and your house will fall into the hands of the torturing spirits. Mercy!

It is necessary to disarm the strong man, as Jesus did when intervening in the life of the young man with a mute spirit (Mark 9: 17-29). The Master led the boy’s father to acknowledge his lack of faith. Then, with tears in his eyes, that man pleaded with the Savior for mercy, and thus his son was delivered. In that case, the disciples failed to deliver him, because they had not learned the value of repentance in deliverance.

Seek from God why the strong man is armed, and keeps your goods in subjection. Your error makes you belong to the devil, who will not give up on your life and your family. On the other hand, one who repents and asks for forgiveness reaches mercy and is freed from the evil one.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares