My Way Or the Highway
But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 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. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:15, 17-18, 20-26 NKJV)
I know the title of this post raised the hackles on some of you, but I hope this passage makes you understand a little better. The devil wants us to believe that Jesus is militant and hostile, while the devil is tolerant and inclusive.
This Scripture reveals the truth: The devil is absolutely intolerant of anyone he hasn’t conquered. If we’re not filled with the Spirit of God, the devil will sweep in with seven times the reinforcements, doing his utmost to ensure that God will never come near you again.
Thankfully, God is an expert at beating the devil with patience and persistence, but He also loves us enough to warn us that another housecleaning will cause us more pain and heartache than we want to deal with — certainly more than He wants to see us go through.
You know what it’s like to be overwhelmed by the hatred Satan has for you. Why not let yourself be overwhelmed by the love God has for you.
(Source: Flickr / zwartwit, via c-o-l-o-u-r-world)
