A certain demon possesses a man preventing him from speaking. This was a bad thing. Why would a demon do this to the man? Jesus comes along and casts the demon out of the man. His tongue was loosed and he was able to speak again.
This was a good thing. It was a wonderful miracle. Jesus showed that He has authority and power over demons. The people marveled at what they saw. They recognized that something extraordinary had taken place.
But not everyone rejoiced. Some of Jesus’ enemies accused Jesus of being in league with the devil. They said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” In other words, they claimed that Jesus was doing the devil’s work.
But this is ridiculous. It makes no sense. Jesus points this out clearly. He says that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan were casting out his own demons, then Satan’s kingdom would be divided against itself. His kingdom would collapse. It would not endure. The devil does not work against himself.
So, Jesus, who is good, is accused of being evil. The prophet Isaiah spoke about this when he said, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). This is exactly what the devil does. One of his tricks is to obscure the difference between good and evil. He confuses people so that they no longer recognize the truth.
We see this already in the Garden of Eden. When the serpent came to Eve, he made the forbidden fruit look attractive. He made the forbidden fruit which was bad out to be good. He essentially said, “God is holding something back from you. If you eat this fruit, your eyes will be opened. You will be like God.” In this way the devil made God, who is good, appear to be evil. And Eve, then Adam, believed the lie.
The devil still works in the same way today. Marriage, children, and family are good gifts from God. They are healthy for society and beneficial for the neighbor. But the devil attacks these institutions. He seeks to destroy them.
The faithful preaching of the Gospel is good. It brings forgiveness, life and salvation. Yet false prophets distort the truth and spread false doctrine. In doing so, they damage the church and lead people away from Christ.
God has also established earthly authority. Government is meant to reward the good and punish evil,. But sometimes misguided leaders punish those who do what is right and allow wickedness to flourish.
In our culture, those who promote what is sinful often portray themselves as compassionate, flexible, and loving. Meanwhile, we who stand for what is good, moral, and true are often labeled as harsh, intolerant, and narrow-minded.
Again the devil calls good evil, and evil good. This is his trick.
Look at our Epistle lesson for today from Ephesians chapter 5. St Paul calls us to be imitators of God; that we are to imitate God’s love. Then he warns us against sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking. These sins are bad and if someone is involved in these sins continues to live an unrepentant life, then he will not inherit the kingdom of God. St Paul then warns us against the kingdom of darkness and we are to walk in the light of God’s kingdom “for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (v 9).
So, living an unrepentant life is bad. Living a repentant life is good. Lent is a time of repentance. It is a time when we recognize our sins and seek the forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus alone.
There is good and evil. There is the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. There is the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. These two kingdoms are opposed to each other.
Which side are you on? You cannot remain neutral. There is no middle ground. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (v. 23).
Which side is Jesus on? His enemies tried to make it look as though Jesus belonged to the kingdom of Satan. They did not like Jesus. They did not like the fact that He was gaining popularity. They did not like the fact that He was performing miracles. They could not trap Him in His own words.
So, what do they do? They tried to discredit Him. They tried to make it appear that Jesus is on the side of the devil. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Jesus did not come from the kingdom of Satan. Jesus came to destroy it.
From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus confronted the devil. In the wilderness He withstood Satan’s temptations and overcame them with the Word of God. Throughout His ministry He cast out demons. The Gospels record Jesus casting out demons on seven different occasions. Jesus also healed the sick and even raised the dead. All of these miracles prove that Jesus is the Son of God in human flesh.
On Good Friday, Jesus atoned for our sin by His righteous sacrifice upon the cross. He bought us back—not with gold or silver—but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. He is the righteous One who suffered and died in our place. We call that Friday of Holy week: good—Good Friday.
And then, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead, announcing to the whole world that He had won the battle. Jesus crushed the head of the serpent. Satan is strong, but Jesus is stronger.
And the blessings of the cross and the open tomb were given to you in your Baptism. You are now forgiven in Christ. Your sin is removed. You have eternal life on account of Jesus. You are a child of God. You walk in the light of Christ. When the devil tries to accuse you, say to him, “Be gone, Satan. I am a baptized child of God. My sins are paid for by the blood of Christ.”
We will sing “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It” as a closing hymn. Stanza three puts our victory over Satan this way:
Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ! Drop your ugly accusation, I am not so soon enticed. Now that to the font I’ve traveled, All your might has come unraveled, And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord, unites with me!
Yet, Jesus gives us a warning. He says that when an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wants to return. So it finds seven other spirits more evil than itself and tries to enter back in. Beware. This is a warning for all of us. Do not take the Gospel for granted. Do not think that you can dabble in pornography, sexual immorality, gambling, or alcohol abuse and think that it won’t hurt you. Be on your guard.
At your Baptism and later at your Confirmation, you renounced the devil and all his works and all his ways. You were washed of your sin in the waters of Holy Baptism and were given the gift of saving faith in Christ. Your life is swept and put in order. You belong to Christ. You trust in Jesus. But the devil wants you back. He does not stop attacking. He continues to tempt you. He looks for weaknesses.
Our opening hymn says it well:
I walk in danger all the way, The thought shall never leave me That Satan, who has marked his prey, Is plotting to deceive me. This foe with hidden snares May seize me unawares If I should fail to watch and pray. I walk in danger all the way (LSB 716:1)
So, the devil is real. He is strong and dangerous. He will do everything in his power to take your faith in Christ away. He wants you to worship idols. He wants you to be addicted to what is sinful. He wants you out of God’s kingdom and back into his kingdom.
By God’s grace and strength, resist the devil. Stand firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:8–9). Do not let down your guard. Rather, watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. You cannot fight Satan on your own. You need God’s Word and the Sacraments to strengthen your faith and to drive the devil away.
And when you fall, do not despair. Repent and receive the forgiveness of sins. Continue to hear the preaching of God’s Word and receive the Lord’s Supper often for the forgiveness of sins.
As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Yes, Mary, the mother of our Lord, is blessed. But she is also blessed because she hears the Word of God and keeps it.
You are blessed when you hear the Word of God and keep it. Jesus does not say, “Blessed are the popular, the healthy, and the rich.” Rather, you are blessed when you hear God’s Word taught and preached. You are blessed when you keep God’s Word. The word for “keep” in Greek means to guard or protect. It is a military term. Soldiers guard and protect their homeland against enemies.
In the same way, we guard and protect God’s Word in the midst of spiritual battle. For we live in the church militant. Jesus won the victory, but the devil refuses to quit. He seeks to destroy all that is good.
We fight against the devil by guarding and protecting God’s Word and His precious Gospel. Hold on to God’s Word. Cling to it. Treasure it and trust in its promises. Those who do so are blessed, for the Word of God is living and active and powerful to save.
You are blessed because you cling to Jesus alone. He is your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. You are blessed because the Word of Christ dwells in you richly. You will be blessed when you partake of the body and blood of Christ here at this altar.
God’s Word protects you from the devil’s lies. It keeps you in the true faith. It drives the devil away from you. God’s Word declares you righteous on account of Christ. It washes away all your iniquity and strengthens your faith in Christ.
Jesus cast out a demon from a mute man, and the man could now speak, giving glory to Jesus. This was a good thing.
So it is with you. Your lips are not mute. They are not bound. This morning, you give God all glory and praise and thanksgiving. You now speak to others about Jesus, your one and only Savior. This is a good thing.
Who are you? You are not a slave of Satan. You are a child of God with in His kingdom. You walk in the light of Christ. In Christ, you are blessed. In Christ, you are free. In Christ, you are righteous. In Christ, God has declared you to be good—very good. Amen.
