New Thoughts (12/14/06-12/17/06)
I find a number of applications for this parable, each of which I shall likely pursue in turn. However, I must take the primary meaning from the context in which Jesus speaks the lesson. It will not do to divorce this teaching from that which occasioned it. With that in mind, it must be remembered that Jesus has just been accused of serving Satan. The opinion voiced by the Pharisees, the scribes, and others of a mind with them was that this was no display of God’s power, but a display of a stronger demon dominating those that are weaker.
Jesus has already put forward a well reasoned argument against this viewpoint, that we would never expect any organization to manifest its dominance and power by attacking itself. It is suicidal in every case, whether personal, within the family, within an organization or within the nation. There is no reason to think the results would be any different in any other rank of creation. He completed that part of the argument by laying out the implications of the opposite viewpoint. If it truly was God’s power that was manifest, then God’s kingdom was right there with the power.
Now, he has continued to the example of the strong man, the warrior at home. Whatever application we may find here for home or Church, we must first recognize how this applies to the case Jesus has been building. Primarily, if not exclusively, He is still chopping away at the position posited by the Pharisees and friends. The primary message continues to address the issue of dealing with demons.
Demons are strong. On this the two viewpoints agree. The Pharisees have not argued that demons are weak. They have argued that Jesus is just wielding a stronger demon. Jesus is focused, at this point, upon that one they accuse Him of being possessed by; the prince of demons. Oh, he is strong, to be sure; stronger than those others that Jesus has cast out. However, far from being opposed to his own realm, he is as a warrior defending his home. He is fully armed and in his prime. If, then, he is the strongest of the demons, the ruler of that realm, as the Pharisees have said, then these weaker minions are his possessions and he will surely exert himself to the uttermost to keep them.
This is, indeed, a continuation of the previous argument. So far is this Beelzebul from attacking his own, as they have supposed, that he is most assuredly exerting every effort to keep his own his own. No man willingly accepts the theft of his goods. No man who is able to prevent it will allow the robber to come freely and take his possessions. If he feels any least possibility of prevailing, he will defend his house with all that is in him.
It requires one who is stronger to remove that one from his defense. His minions have already been eliminated as contenders for that right, as they have been declared weaker. Mankind is certainly in no position to take on that task, for they are less than minions. They are slaves – possessions. It takes One who is stronger, and Jesus is hereby declaring that He is that One. Any one of those listening who has the least bit of understanding must hear the claim He is making. The arguments combine to force the point: He is the One who is more than man, greater than the most powerful devil. That leaves only one thing for Him to be. If He is greater than all this, He is God. There is nothing else left.
The fundamental point we must take from this message is that the One who is able to overpower the devil has come. He has bound the strong man – the devil. Otherwise, He would be in no position to be wresting the possessed from the possessor. Otherwise, He would be in no position to cast off the devil’s lieutenants and captains. So, we see that Jesus is first and foremost establishing His claim and His office. That said, there are still these other applications that I find in His words, so I shall turn to them.
First, an application for the church at large. This is particularly apropos to me at this time, given the music project I have been working on. It comes to this: Jesus points out that we can not carry off the strong man’s property except that man be bound first. John says that the Son of God appeared for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil (1Jn 3:8). This does not, however necessitate the inclusion of all the devil’s property. We were, after all, his property before Jesus set us free from his bondage. Slaves are property, and slaves we were. I think, however, that there is a connection in these two thoughts. It lies in the idea that the destruction of the devil’s works is the thing that binds him. With him bound and his works destroyed, what remains? What remains is Creation, God’s good and perfect work, restored to its proper, intended order. What remains is Creation without the stain of the Fall.
So, if I turn my thoughts to the arts, and how those arts find representation in the Church, there is a warning to be had here. It is not necessarily wrong to bring the arts in. It is not necessarily wrong to bring in forms of music, forms of dance, forms of drama or painting or writing or any other art, simply because one can find those forms ‘in the world.’ However, if we would take from those representations of artistry, we need to take some time in destroying the work of the evil one in those arts. We need to bind the strong man, to purify the artistry from his influence before we can make of it an offering pleasing to God. When we fail to do that, what we have offered is something pleasing to us, but as often as not, something that is a stench in God’s nostrils. Can He really be pleased when we offer Him the unreclaimed works of His worst enemy?
Consider how clearly He indicates the requirements for purity in His sacrifices and even in His servants. The whole Levitical code makes it clear. Don’t bring Him some damaged goods from your flocks. Don’t use Him as a means of culling your herds without suffering loss. No, and if you would serve in His house, you will need to be free of defect as well, for such service is a sacrifice in itself. I think back to the story of the house of Herod, and how they mangled the ear of the High Priest so that he could no longer serve in that position. What is not as it should be, what is not as God created it to be, has no place in His presence.
Understanding that, we must surely take care as to what we offer Him. This holds particularly true, I think, in our offerings of praise and worship. If we are bringing the worldly arts into His house unchanged, as much as we may enjoy the beat, the movement or whatever, we are not bringing Him what He desires. He came to destroy the works of the evil one, to reclaim the plunder that has been in that one’s house for too long. In reclaiming those things, it must be as it was with us: Not just taken out, but cleaned up and restored to our proper condition.
I must, I suppose, focus on that particular branch most familiar to me: the music of worship. There is nothing sinful, as Larry Norman pointed out years ago, about the flatted fifth, or basic blues licks. There’s nothing inherently wrong with jazz phrasings. There’s not even anything evil about rap music, is there? That said, there are things within any of these genres of music which are, if not wrong, at least unlovely. If I look across the rock and roll that I listened to in younger years, and to a lesser extent now, I can find quite a bit of it that is both intriguing and artistic, even beautiful. I can also find plenty there that has pretty much gone out of its way to be unlovely.
As I have been exploring the sounds of jazz, which are more or less the natural setting of my instrument, I find the same thing. There is a vast body of music in that arena that is wonderful to listen to; sweetly played, lovingly crafted, beautiful melodies and explorations. Then, there is that other body of music which is little more then bleeps and splats that we are supposed to consider somehow musical in their defiance of the rules of music. The fact that an instrument can do that does not indicate that it should. It does not suddenly make it necessary that we come up with a reason for it to do that thing. If I may be so bold: blather is blather. We can label it as art, but it remains blather. It is not beauty.
Shifting to the world of painting, I think of those whose art consists of randomly lobbing cans of paint at the canvas and then declaring the result some sort of genius. They do it often enough that it becomes a movement and then, the elites having been convinced of that genius, and seeing their ability to appreciate it as a mark of their superiority, reward this drivel with their money. But, that does not make it beautiful, or even artistic. A two year old can produce more artistic works, and I’m guessing just about every parent out there has proof of that fact somewhere in their house.
The world wants us to believe that beauty is in the eye (or the ear) of the beholder. I must maintain, though, that the Creator of those eyes and ears is the One who has long since defined what those eyes and ears were designed to perceive as beautiful. For, He designed them after His own tastes, to be put upon beings who were Created to bear His image. Surely, as His image bearers, our perception of beauty must seek to align with His!
So, how do we deal with this? I think we have to recognize that, while there are many aspects of these various arts that do still reflect beauty as God defines beauty, there is much that reflects only the corruption of a fallen world. If we would reclaim these things, if we would make them something fit to be an offering to our God and Savior, we must do as He does. We must destroy that part of the art which is the devil’s work, the impact of the fall, the declaring ugliness to be beautiful. What remains after that is the plunder taken from his house. In point of fact, what remains is the plunder that was stolen from God’s people, restored to them at last.
As we consider whether a particular form of worship is appropriate for God’s house, I think we really have to get used to prayerfully seeking to know whether the thing we would bring is as beautiful in His ears as we think it to be, or is it a blemished lamb? I think we, as Christian artists, should not be running away from the forms of music we find today. Neither should we be embracing them without thought. We need to be as discerning of what we bring to God in music as we are about what we hear preached as His word. We need to care about not only the content of the message a particular song of worship or praise might have – whether it speaks a message that is true to the Gospel of the kingdom, but also whether the vessel which is that song is truly going to be an offering pleasing in His sight.
I know many who want us to be concerned with where a particular music comes from: whether the musicians were pure, what motivated the music, other things of that nature. Well, now, if I look at it in that light, all music has come from the efforts of fallen man, therefore all music must be viewed as tainted beyond usability in the Church. Indeed, we should not dare to so much as enter the Church, by this standard, for we are all of us fallen and sinful. But, the Church is about reclamation. The Church is about plundering the strong man’s house. It is where that plunder is brought. It is where we return what was stolen from us, for we are members of God’s house by His own choosing. The goods we are bringing were once ours. They have just been stolen and misused.
If we would have our things back, they may need some repair after these years of misuse. We ought not to shun what is ours by right just because some unlawful entity has put it to unlawful use. No! Destroy the work of the evil one! By the power of God, put to right what he has twisted out of shape. Take back the arts, don’t abandon them! Restore the beauty. Remind the world of beauty. It has been too long under the influence of those who declare ugliness beautiful and beauty ugliness. The pride of the prideful has convinced them to swallow and promote this lie, but the eyes and ears of man still have the genetic makeup that God created them with. When reminded of true beauty, they will still recognize it. When freed of the bondage of lies, the Truth will still win through.
So, fellow artists of the Church, hear the message: Don’t be carried off by the ways of the world, but dust off the worldly ways and restore all the richness of true artistry and beauty to God’s house. Dance, but dance in the purity of holiness. Sing! Sing with abandon and joy! Sing with mourning and sorrow. Sing with all the rich variety and emotion that God’s gift of music can provide. But, let it be beautiful in His sight. Let it be the sound He wants to hear. Enough of entertainment for the troops. It is the Lord of lords we are setting out to please. If He be not pleased, what use the tickled ears of His people? Be careful, then, of what you carry back in from your raids upon the world. Don’t bring the world back, just those stolen spoils that belonged to us in the first place. Beware lest, in carrying off the plunder of the strong man’s house, you discover that it is actually you that has been carried off by the plunder.
A second application of this message is found in Luke’s version. This application is another warning, but one more applicable to each of us individually. Notice how he describes the strong man. That man is not only strong, he is fully armed and standing guard. Notice also the description of his downfall. The one who overpowered him takes all that armor in which he trusted. There is the key to this application. That man’s trust was in his armor and his weapons. His trust was in his equipment and his own ability to use that equipment. Well, we must surely understand that however well we equip ourselves, we are bound to come across somebody who is better equipped. However skilled we may be, we are bound to come up against somebody more skillful. The point, then, is this: If we are trusting our peace and prosperity to our own skills and equipping, then we are assured of an eventual failure. We will only succeed until someone stronger, better equipped and better trained opts to take us out.
The only way to have absolute assurance of our security is to found that security upon something which cannot be trumped. The only armor that cannot be improved upon is the armor of God. The only strength than cannot be met by a greater power is God’s power, for He is omnipotent. He is all-powerful. There can be no stronger entity to come against Him, else He is not God.
The observations that the Pharisees made regarding the source of Jesus’ power show some degree of awareness of this truth. Men had long since recognized that self-reliance was bound to have its limitations. So, they turned to whatever means were at hand to improve their position. If there were powerful spirits in the area, why not find means to negotiate their protection? Of course, these were still only an incremental improvement, for – as the Pharisees rightly point out – there are stronger demons, sufficiently powerful to overthrow these lesser ones. The flaw in their reasoning on this matter is not in assessing strength, it is in recognizing the situation within the spirit realms. Such warfare as they envision might well happen if, as was believed by so many cultures, there were all these petty gods with their competing spheres of influence. Of course there would be border skirmishes and raiding parties, just as we see among the nations. However, Jesus indicates a different organizational situation. There are but two kingdoms, there is God’s kingdom, defined as that portion of all creation that heeds His command, and there is the devil’s kingdom, defined as whatever is not in the first kingdom. There are, then, but two who lay anything close to a legitimate claim to rule. One is Supreme. The other is supreme within his rebel lands.
It must be said that this same black and white division of the territory applies as much to the nations of the earth as it does to the unseen. We may have all manner of presidents, kings, sheiks and whatever other titles such leaders choose to go by, but in the end, they are presently under one of two possible authorities. They are either serving the true King of kings, or they are serving the usurper of the King’s lands. They are either servants of God or rebels. There is no neutral ground in this war. There cannot be.
So, the question for each of us comes down to this: who have you trusted your defense to? Who stands guard over you? Is it the strong man or is it the Mighty God? I have spoken of this in terms of peace. What assures your peace? The same options are available to you. Are you counting on yourself to maintain your peace? You are assured of failure. Have you sold yourself to something greater than yourself yet unworthy of your trust? You are assured of failure. Have you turned to the Savior of your soul? Have you partaken of His blessed assurance? He alone promises peace that cannot be disturbed. He alone is in any position to make such a promise, for He alone can post a guard that shall not be overpowered. Has the Almighty got your back? If so, then your peace is assured, whatever may befall. If not your fall is assured, whatever momentary peace may be.
Only God can stand in certainty. That is the story of our salvation. If our salvation was in any way our own doing, it would be at risk, for we are fallible and weak. The truth of the matter is that it is not our doing, not in any way. It’s not even, as much as we like to think of it that way, our willingness to accept the offer. If it were, we would remain at risk of changing our minds. No, if salvation is sure, it is because it is wholly and completely dependent upon God’s work and in no way a work of our own doing. That total dependence on God is the key to assurance. That is the thing that allows us peace even when we suffer doubts. That is the thing that ensures our return to the paths of righteousness even when we stray. If God has saved, we are saved. It gives us no excuse to sin. It is not some sort of get out of jail free card. It’s just fact. It’s a fact fit to inspire the greatest love in us, and that love propels us to do our utmost for Him who gave His utmost for us.
So it is that Paul recommends to us the whole armor of God (Eph 6:11-17). By it, he says, we shall be enabled to stand firm against the ‘schemes of the devil.’ However much that one may seek to gain hold over us, to rob us of our birthright, if we have availed ourselves of this armor, he must fail of his goal. There are the greaves guarding our loins and legs: the Truth which gives us something to stand on. There is the breastplate: the righteousness of Christ Himself guarding our heart and watching our back. There are boots of peace prepared by the Gospel, and there is the shield of faith which Paul tells us is able to not only block those inflammatory attacks of the enemy, but to extinguish the flames. He may hope to burn through our defenses with his onslaught, but this shield is prepared for such attacks, and will quench the fire. There is the helmet of salvation, a most critical article of our defense. For, if the primary attack of the enemy is at the mind, salvation – the assurance of salvation – is our best defense against his lies. He would convince us that we remain fallen and unredeemed, hoping that we might throw aside all this armor that he cannot overcome, but when we know our salvation is a matter completed, he cannot convince us to let it go. Neither does God limit us to defensive actions. He has fitted us with all the implements of war. The offensive weapon we are given is, like the armor, fitted for war, but fitted specifically for war of the sort we face – war against the forces of darkness and spiritual wickedness. So, we have our sword – the very Word of God, powered by the Holy Spirit and able to cut so deep as to sever flesh and spirit. The devil himself has sought to wield this weapon, but his hands are not trained to its use. The well-trained, practiced man of God will easily parry his thrusts with that weapon, however clever his tactics. The question is, are we practicing?
Thoughts along these lines led me to choose Luke 11:21 as the key verse to this passage, for this is the verse that brings things home on a more personal level. “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own homestead, his possessions are undisturbed.” His possessions and his household are at peace. This, by itself, admittedly shorn of context, is a message to the men of God’s family. It is not enough to be fully armed. If we are not employing that armor, if we are not using that sword, they are just useless decorations for the living room wall. I think back to the coat of arms and dress sword my father had. That sword was in the house for many years. But, it was worn only for ceremonies (he was a Navy man). I doubt he had ever had so much as one lesson on its use. It was a decoration. It was not a weapon. Last I saw of it, it had become a wall hanging for my brother’s house. I don’t know if it’s still there, but it remains – while perhaps usable as a weapon – no more than a trinket. It’s not enough to have the weapons, we must employ them if we would defend ourselves.
It’s not enough, either, to be strong. We can be ever so strong in the Word, well studied and able to discern. Yet, if we are not actually using what we have learned, not actually standing on that foundation of Truth, it is no good knowing the Truth. If one were building a house, and knowing full well what sort of ground makes for a good foundation, decided to build in the swamp in spite of having such ground available, what use the knowledge? Strength must be equipped with the tools of battle, and must be trained to the use of those tools.
Once again, consider Caleb in those forty years en route from Canaan to Canaan. He was not idling in the camp. His weapons were not going to rust as his body aged and lost strength. No, he was training. He was taking the time to keep his armor and his weaponry in shape. He was doing everything necessary to make it possible, when he came to Joshua at eighty some years of age, to say, “I’m as ready now as I was at the start.” He was strong because he was exercising to remain strong. He was capable because he was keeping himself familiar with the uses of weapons. He was instant because he was keeping himself and his weaponry fit for battle at any time. “Send me in.” That’s the cry of God’s warrior. There is no holding back. There is no delay for preparation. The warrior is prepared. If there be delay, it is not his doing.
Finally, all this strength, training and preparedness comes to naught if the man of God does not stand guard. It is when he guards his own homestead that his household is undisturbed. We must surely understand by now that the strength by which he guards is not his own, but God’s. The armor he wears and the weapons he wields are not steel, nor does he have need of ballistics. It is the armor of God’s own choosing, the rich panoply with which He equips His saints that serve. It remains to the man to actually put all this to work, though, else the day is yet lost. Had Caleb, having worked so hard to be ready all those years, then decided to just take his parcel of land and retire, what use the training? No. He had fit himself to the task, and he went to the task.
What of us? What of me? As the man of this household, this is a task assigned to me: to stand guard against the spiritual attacks that come against us. If there is not peace in my house, where shall I lay the blame? Is it because my wife has not prayed enough? Is it because my child is just not on God’s roles of the chosen? No. Neither am I permitted to turn the blame upon my upbringing, on my training, or even on my God. I have been made strong by Him. I have been fully equipped by Him. How, then, shall I think it His fault if I fail to use what He has graciously poured out into my life?
This is, truth be told, a problem. It is an issue too common in the life of the Church, that men have abandoned the defense of their households. We have convinced ourselves that it’s a woman’s work, this business of praying over everything. We have decided that, as the breadwinners, we haven’t the time for this nonsense. I have to accept this responsibility. If I wish to be called a father in truth, a husband in truth, this is my job. More than bringing in the provisions, this is my job. What use providing for a house that has been destroyed? What use abundance of meat if those whom it should feed have been lost?
“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own home, then there is peace.” I hear God saying, “Don’t complain to Me about the troubles in your household.” It’s not His fault. If the one appointed to stand guard abandons his post, shall we blame the commander who put him in that post? I think not. It is the one who abandons the post who takes the blame, and rightfully so.
Lord, I cannot but confess that I have been remiss. You have done so much to strengthen me in Your Truth, to train me in Your Word, to cover me in Your righteousness. Yet, what have I been doing? I have relinquished my position on every possible occasion. I have been too busy to protect my own charges. I have half-heartedly deputized the task without authorization. I ask Your forgiveness, and I ask that You make such change in me as is necessary for me to truly stand in that place You have put me.
