The Bible makes it crystal clear that the WAR is between God and satan, Light and darkness, Right and wrong.
In the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, the WAR commenced between God’s created beings and the serpent (chapter 3 of Genesis): “So the LORD God said to the serpent: … I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:14-15). The New American Bible has, “…they will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” We find this reference in Romans 16:20 – “And the God of peace will CRUSH satan under your feet…” Hebrew scholars tell us that in Genesis 3:15 the antecedent for “they” and “their” is the collective noun “offspring,” i.e., all the descendants of the woman/Eve.
Christian tradition has viewed more in Genesis 3:15 than an unending HOSTILITY between snakes and people; we know the “serpent” was and is satan (see 2 Corinthians 11:3 and Revelation 12:9 = the ancient serpent who seduced Eve, mother of the whole human race; see also Revelation 20:2; Ephesians 6:11-12). For more on satan, read Wisdom 2:24; John 8:44; Revelation 12:9 and 20:2.
The “Good News” in all this “Bad News” is that “the Son of God was revealed to DESTROY the works of the devil,” as 1 John 3:8 tells us.
Genesis 3:15 was understood as the first promise of a Redeemer for fallen humanity, called the “protoevangelium,” signifying the “first Gospel”: Christ (the Seed) was coming to destroy satan’s “head,” and in the process, would suffer (His “heel” would be bruised). Note: It was Irenaeus of Lyons (AD 130-200) that wrote about this in his “Against Heresies” (5:21). Other Church Fathers wrote about it as well; they interpreted Genesis 3:15 as referring to Christ, and cited Galatians 3:19 and 4:4 to support their points. The “Seed” in Galatians 3:19 referred to Christ: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Hebrew scholars go on to tell us that another interpretive translation relates to the “she” (Hebrew, ipsa) in Genesis 3:15, as is reflected on in Jerome’s vulgate: “she” was thought to refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus (the Messiah), meaning “her (Mary’s) seed” represented Jesus the Christ.
Another verse to read is Isaiah 7:14, speaking of “Immanuel,” the name for Jesus that means, “with us is God” (cf. Matthew 1:23).
So, this is the background of the WAR that still rages today.
Because of our first parents, Adam and Eve, satan has had an open door to raise Hell on earth. The first recorded murder is found in Genesis 4:8, where Cain murdered his brother Abel. Killing/Murder/Hostilities have been on the earth and will continue till the END!
Jesus makes reference to satan, i.e., the devil, in John 8:44. Satan was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is NO truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a LIAR and “the father of LIES.” All hostilities and wars involve lies and liars!
Be Strong / Stay Alert
Ephesians 6 is the battle manual for the Christian soldier:
“Be strong” (6:10)
“Put on the whole armor” (v. 11)
“Stand against” (v. 11)
“Wrestle against” (v. 12)
“Withstand” (v. 13)
“Continue to stand” (v. 13)
“Stand therefore” (v. 14)
“gird , put on, shod, take, quench all fiery darts, take up sword, pray, watch, persevere” (vv. 14-18)
We need to stand against everything evil that is resident in the fallen human heart (see Jesus’ partial list in Mark 7:21-23, not to mention many lists throughout the New Testament such as in Galatians 5:19-21 and Titus 3:3).
Apropos
Mark 3:20-27 is where we’ll read in order to “get to the heart” of this article. The narrative is about Jesus’ power over demons. The scribes accused Jesus of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebub (vv. 22-30).
Now, the scribes’ accusations against Jesus were the following:
- Jesus Himself is possessed by an unclean spirit.
- He drives out demons by Beelzebub (see Matthew 10:25, where Jesus mentions Beelzebub; see also 9:34, “the prince of demons,” and 12:24).
In Mark 3:27, Jesus declares, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house” (NKJV).
According to this parable, satan casting out satan is not possible. Satan is represented as the “strong man.” When entering satan’s house, that is, a place where he has a stronghold, we must first bind him – before we can rob his stronghold.
Jesus was always accused of doing evil by the religious Jews when He healed or cast out demons, yet read about His power and the good fruit of it in Mark 3:10-11!
The strongman’s house was (is) those who are afflicted, demonized, diseased, and crippled – demons hold men and women captive to afflictions of every kind. Besides the physical, demons also control humankind by keeping them bound in deceptions, fears, addictions, hatreds, and on and on.
Luke 11:20-22
“But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.”
[See Isaiah 53:12. Chapter 53 refers to Jesus who would come. In verse 11, He is called “My Righteous Servant.” See Isaiah 42:1 where “My Servant … My Elect One” is used. Also, read: 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13 – 53:12. The Church has always believed these texts refer to the Christ of Matthew 12:18-21).
Reparation Offering
We know that Jesus the Christ was written about centuries before He came: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). He was to become the Divine “Strongman.” For example: “…but when a stronger than he (satan) comes upon him and overcomes him…” (Luke 11:22).
Jesus was “a Reparation Offering,” as the New American Bible states concerning Isaiah 53:10. The Hebrew term ’ah sham (“offering”) is used of a particular kind of sacrifice: “one that is intended as compensation for that which is due because of guilt” (see Leviticus 5:14-26). Isaiah 53:11 in the NAB uses the word “justify” (as in other versions); the verb means “to be acquitted” or “declared innocent.” Scholars point out that since the Servant (v. 11) shall “bear their iniquity,” an effective action is suggested, rather than simply a legal action. So, in short, Jesus was and is the Stronger than satan Servant who frees us of our guilt of sin and heals and delivers us of demonic influences and physical afflictions.
More in Part 2 …
(Also, see all the prophecies concerning who Jesus really is: Read the Blog at JesusCallsToAll.com).
— Gen. Jim, POW