A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND

According to Matthew 12:22-32 some might assume that Jesus emphatically means that Satan cannot or will not give power to people to perform exorcisms of his own “house." When Jesus says, “A House divided against itself cannot stand,” does he mean that demonic work will never be initiated against other demons by the prince of demons? 

Satan's House of Cards will topple

First, I would like to say that Satan, Lucifer, all other demonic forces, and our enemies house, will not stand in the end. Lucifer the angel of light is a defeated foe. He will be toppled like a house of cards. There is no power in his house that God does not grant. God is the ultimate power in the universe (Colossians 1:15-20), and Satan bows to His will (Job 1-2). Jesus says in those same words, "how can his house stand?” That is a good question. How can his house stand? The house of lies, evil, wickedness, and destruction cannot stand on the final day. His house will fall tumbling down before the judgement of the righteous judge (Revelation 12:7-10 1 Corinthians 15:24-26). Until that time when the Lord of heaven's armies destroys once and for all the works of the enemy (Revelation 20:10), we are given the authority over his power and forces in the mighty name of Jesus (Colossians 2:15; James 4:7-8).

Second, Satan certainly does work against himself. The question is, does he ever work to cast demons out of people? Jesus is certainly correct here when he intonates that Satan hopes to destroy people by possessing them, And does not cast himself out of people. He would rather continue possessing people. What do we know about Satan? He is deceptive, a liar, evil, and will do anything to make us take our eyes off of Christ (1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:11 John 8:44). If he can use "Catholic exorcisms,” “demonology,” or any other such bizarre practices, he will do it. He will lie, deceive and otherwise seek to throw the church and its Saints into confusion by "accusing us before God day and night (Revelation 12:10)." He often succeeds in this task through confusing us with supernatural events. 

Thirdly, as Jesus did this miracle of freeing this demonized man, Satan had done well at throwing the people into confusion. The people asked, "can this be the son of David?" The Pharisees seeing the power slowly slipping through their fingers, made a stunning accusation that Jesus was doing these works by Satan's power. Jesus returns accusation with accusation. “If I cast out demons by Beelzebub by whom do your sons cast them out?” In other words, exorcisms were a practice of the Pharisees and their sons. Were the Pharisees saved? Were their sons? Did they trust Jesus? Did they cast out demons in the name of Jesus even? The answer is probably "NO" to all these questions. Then how were they able to cast out demons? How are nonbelievers able to cast out demons? This is the difficulty in saying then that "signs and wonders” are confirmation that a movement is from God. That is why Jesus himself said, "do not believe me unless I do the works of the Father,” and "I only speak what the father has spoken.” What are the works of the Father? The word of God are His works. His gospel and repentance into new life are His works. Jesus did those works and spoke that truth from the Father during His earthly ministry. 

How are people able to navigate in the supernatural and not be Christians? How are people, Catholics, Animists, Witches, and those in the Occult, able to perform seemingly miraculous exorcisms. How are supposed Christians able to perform such works, and as Jesus said be, "wolves in sheep's clothing?” How did these sons of the Pharisees cast out demons as Jesus says? 

It is true that people are able to navigate in the supernatural by the power of the enemy. The Bible makes it plain that false prophets will be able to do wonders by another power that is not from God. Now whether or not they cast out demons by Beelzebub or some other power then becomes unclear because of Jesus words. But it is rather clear that these false prophets will navigate with "signs and wonders" through another power. We see this clearly throughout biblical history. Some have been able to exercise power over spirits and demons through other supernatural powers. Many false prophets did great wonders but did not work through the power of the God of Israel. One possibility is that these powers could just be a natural powers. This is certainly possible. We see powers like this at work in world religions that deny that there even is a supernatural world. In contrast there are many religions that embrace the supernatural and use that power to their advantage. The Occult for instance, embraces evil, wickedness, and anything that goes against Christianity. The Occult embraces the manipulation of supernatural powers, even though it is clear that Satan is manipulating those who practice such things. Other such occult religions are Animism, Wicca, Satanism, New Age, etc. 

People can also navigate in the supernatural in Jesus name, and NOT be followers of Christ. Acts 19 describes such a story. Seven sons of a high priest name Sceva adjured the name of Jesus upon people who were possessed by demons. And they were successful up to a point. Until one day they encountered a Demon who answered them, but did not recognize their authority, and gave them such a beating that it says the demonized man, "sent them out of the house bleeding and naked." Jesus himself describes the day of judgement where those who have cast out demons, healed people, and done mighty works in Jesus name will be condemned and rejected by Christ. How will they do that? Why would God allow false teachers to do that in Christ's name? I tend to think God loves deliverance no matter how it happens. Jesus came to, "seek and to save that which was lost.” I also believe that the gospel has a better chance to take hold of a delivered and free person because that person is free. Their eyes and ears are then maybe more open to the message of the gospel. I think of the demoniac. When Jesus delivered him he wanted immediately to go with Jesus. Jesus did not let him come with them. Why not? Because Jesus knew he would become an immediate evangelist. And he did. He went to his hometown and told everyone about what Jesus had done. However, we know that miracles do not make an immediate convert. I think of the ten lepers. Only one came back to thank Jesus! “Where are the other nine?" Jesus asked. He did that to point out that healing and even deliverance from demons is not tantamount to repentance and faith. It can be used to direct people's attention to Christ, but the words of the gospel of repentance are necessary for a second birth. The holy spirit can and is using all of these events to draw people to Christ. 

Jesus goes on to say, “If the Spirit of God casts out demons then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” And what do we know about that kingdom? It is a kingdom of repentance! Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus goes on to describe the kingdom. One power must be overtaken for a new power to move in. So the devil has much control over this world, which is given and allowed him by the sovereign God. Even so his power is limited. In the heart of a Christian, Jesus has moved in after the strongman’s kingdom was overthrown. In so doing Jesus, "destroys the works of the devil." He is doing so and continues to do so, so that his kingdom of repentance and forgiveness of sins can take hold instead of the "strong man’s" evil kingdom. Jesus has come to plunder his house! 

Jesus said, “When salt loses its saltiness it is no longer good for anything but to be trampled under foot by men.” The only way salt can lose its saltiness it's to be chemically altered by dilution or pollution. So either the church dilutes the message of the gospel and makes it about "signs and wonders” where the message of repentance and faith in the gospel is not presented, or we maintain the full message of the saltiness of the gospel. Salt that Jesus is referring to is the flavor and preservation of the true message of Christ. Do we seek to preserve the salty gospel or are we letting it be diluted? The other way that salt loses its saltiness chemically is by the introduction of a pollutant. I'm thinking of a pollutant as false teaching, false gospel, false message, or sin. In these words Jesus is asking us to keep the purity of the gospel message clear. The simple gospel must remain undiminished, unadulterated, and unpolluted in the face of the works of the devil. The gospel message stands the test of time, even in the face of confusing supernatural phenomena. Signs and wonders do not prove the work of Christ, but rather should only confirm the message of the gospel. When the gospel is not preached alongside “signs and wonders” we should be very suspicious that the power is from God, and that the salt has not lost its saltiness. 

Theology Established in Genesis 1-11 Gives Us Confidence in its Authenticity

Biblical themes established in Genesis 1-11

Have you ever felt like you could not trust the accuracy of the Bible? Have people said to you that the Bible is a book of "fables", or not historically accurate? Have even some of your Christian friends made you doubt more specifically the authenticity of Genesis 1-11? I want to help you in your ability to trust the Theological roots of the Genesis 1-11 account. There are far smarter people than I who can debate the scientific stuff, but what I want you to know is that you do not have to check your theological brain at the door either if you hold to a historically accurate Genesis 1-11.

What I will aim to do in this post is give you plenty of good theological foundations in which we can beleive the historical authenticity of Genesis 1-11 because of their linkage to almost every theological and biblical theme that I can think of, and of course many of those that I cannot think of. First I would like to point out one of those maybe more obvious ones. Marriage is a Biblical theme that is established in Genesis 1-11. Jesus also reiterates that theme, "Have you not heard, He made them male and female." Sabbath is another theme that is established in the Creation account and repeated by Jesus. Jesus is also called our sabbath rest. Other themes that are established are, Original sin, Christ's sustaining creative power (Repeated in Colossians 3 and Hebrews 1), Coming redemption (as seen in the curse after Adam's sin). Also seen in the curse with pain through childbirth, Family order (paternal spiritual leadership), and that the woman sinned first, Which is repeated in Timothy. Jesus in Hebrews is established as our sabbath rest, and if Gen 1-11 is poetic, and not with a literal seventh day of rest from Creation, then there is no O.T. or N.T. basis for a literal sabbath either. However there must be a literal sabbath in which we were meant to rest, so that Jesus could fulfill that rest in which we need not work anymore to please a Holy God.

There is a new and rising field of study called Theology of Work. This Theology of Work is also established when Adam is given the task pre-fall of naming animals, and post-fall we will work "by the sweat of our brow." On a sadder note, sin digs its roots deep into the heart of the first brothers as seen in Cain and Abel directly followed by the first murder. Other more scientific things are established in which God establishes seasons as first seen in the aftermath of the Noahic flood. on those same lines The Noahic Covenant is established in which God promises to never again send another worldwide flood. Right after the flood we have the Noahic genealogies, which are the basis of all other genealogies. If we don't have those genealogies as authentic living people, then we do not have a flesh and blood Messiah in Jesus either.

In other areas of Genesis 1-11 we have languages and cultures emerging (Anthropology). We see clearly the establishing of language and culture at the Tower of Babel and the confusion and origin of languages. These things cannot be just overlooked as unimportant insignificant "fables". They are the establishing of Anthropological grounds and why we have confused languages to this day. Either they happened or we cannot trust the historical accuracy of the whole of Scripture. I chose to trust the Authenticity of these "fables" or "Mythologies" as some have labeled them.

Here is a short list of some of the many theologies that are established in Genesis 1-11...

• The Trinity: ("let us make man in our own image")
• Theology (proper): in the character of God (as creative, loving, and just God)
• Christology: Pre-existent Christ creator of all things (Colossians 3, Hebrews 1) as seen in the prophecy concerning the serpent and how Christ would die
• Pneumatology: (study of the Holy Spirit) as seen in the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, and his part within the Godhead. 
• Soteriology: (study of salvation) as seen in God enacting and beginning the salvific history in which the serpent would "strike his heel and he will crush your head", or more easily put, Why did Jesus need to die on a cross?
• Harmartiology: (study of sin) as seen in what is called "original sin". If there is no Adam or original sin there is no Harmartiology. Why is there sin in the world?
• Prolegomena: has God revealed himself in creation and the signs in the universe or not? If he did not create, then how does he have the power to reveal himself in nature?
• Anthropology: does man have a fallen sinful nature as described in Gen 1-11 or not? And was man created in the image of a holy eternal perfect uncreated God?
• Missiology: let us make man in our own image, this is God's way of making himself known and it is the beginnings of the Misseo Dei!
• Ecclesiology: *
• Eschatology: *
• Angelology: *

*except for these three fields of theology, every other systematic is either established, began or addressed in a foundational way in Gen 1-11. I am not aware of if these other three might be hinted at in places, established, or otherwise in the first 11 chapters of Genesis. All these areas of theology are addressed, or at least begin to be addressed through foreshadowing. So be confident you stand on steady, unshakable, and historical Theological ground. You also stand on practical ground in believing in the historical accuracy of the beginning of Genesis.

Here are a few practical questions that can be answered from the first 11 chapters of Genesis too...

• Why do we have a seven day week?
• Why is there death?
• Why do we need a new heaven and a new earth if this old earth is not fallen?
• Why do we wear clothes?
• What is the foundational history of the whole rest of the Bible and theology?

Here is a good way to look at the historicity of the whole bible in seven different movements.

1. Creation (Genesis 1-11)
2. Corruption (Genesis 1-11)
3. Catastrophe (Genesis 1-11)
4. Confusion (Genesis 1-11)
5. Christ (N.T.)
6. Cross (N.T.)
7. Consumption (N.T.)

Can the gospel be true if the historical foundations of it in Genesis are not or cannot be trusted as historically accurate? Or for that matter, can we trust any other miraculous thing in the entire Bible also as historically accurate? If we cannot trust the miraculous, then we cannot and don't believe the core elements of the gospel (i.e. The resurrection of Christ from the dead, and our resurrection from the dead). My question is why do we want to explain away Genesis as not authentic, but not the rest of the supernatural elements of the Bible? Because we cannot explain the "cataclysmic supernatural" events in their pages? It is true that you do have to believe in the miraculous to believe that the Bible is accurate? There are supernatural events in almost every chapter of the Bible. Most are smaller than the "cataclysmic supernatural" events in Genesis, But supernatural nonetheless. We can and must trust them, because the gospel, and everything Jesus taught is in their pages. With these few thoughts I hope and pray you can trust at least in the theological and historical authenticity of Genesis 1-11. 

Is Halloween Dangerous?

I was thinking about the supernatural today. I guess it seems appropriate, since today is Halloween. I was wondering why most American and Western Christians do not think the supernatural rhealm especially the demonic or spirit rhealm is real. So today in, deep contemplation, I asked my wife and she said she thought it was because it is so sensationalized in the media and treated more as entertainment rather than reality. I think it is dangerous for us as Christians to not give any credance to the spirit world, which biblically exists beyond a shadow of a doubt. I remembered the great book by C.S. Lewis called Screwtape Letters in which a senior demon is communicating in a series of letters to his young apprentice called Wormwood. Here is a lengthy quote from the book in which Screwtape describes a great strategy in demonic warfare. Making us Christians think the spirit realm is not real.

"Our policy for the moment, is to conceal ourselves.  Of course this has not always been so.  We are really faced with a cruel dilemma.  When the humans disbelieve in our existences at we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skeptics.  At least, not yet.  I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy. …If once we can produce our perfect work – the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls ‘Forces’ while denying the existence of ‘spirits’ – then the end of the war will be in sight." (p31)

-C.S. Lewis

Screwtape Letters 

Screwtape writing to Wormwood giving him advice on keeping himself concealed and helping humans continue to disbelieve in the existence of demons

We could also say that our culture doesn't disbelieve in demonic or the supernatural rhealm, but we are just entertained by it. Witchcraft, the occult, and the like are huge selling phenomena in today's entertainment industry. That is even more dangerous. We see these things as practices and religions that entertain us is even more senseless to me. I leave you with a scripture that for us as Christians should sum up our biblical relationship with the adversary. 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:12, 13 ESV)