The Thursday in the 3rd Week of Lent
March 16, 2023
Luke 11:14-23
This passage describes Jesus driving out a demon from a man and then being accused of acting in the name of Beelzebul. After the Lord’s astute rebuttal of the charge of working for a demon, Jesus says, “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” What a powerful statement! Are we all not afflicted by some evil or are on some bad pathway at some point in our lives? These negative life forces might not be as dramatic as to consider them a “demon” but are they not degrading our spirit or affecting our health in the same way demons from the Bible do. Addictions, poor relationships, prideful arrogance, and a myriad of other life draining habits all have real consequences. It is only through the “finger of God” that we might be rescued from these items that have overtaken our lives. Verse 22 says “when some stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides his plunder.” Our toxic habits do not go quietly into the night. They don’t give up easily. They can last for years and almost lifetimes. We need a deliverer and God is that power that can “take away the armor” of the foe. We can rely on Him to put an end to our afflictions. During this Lenten season, let’s carefully examine our lives and see where we can shine a light on those dark areas that we often don’t want to look at or think they don’t exist. Let us ask God for healing in those places. Those demons don’t have a chance when we allow God to do the heavy lifting. We can’t do it, but God can.
Nick Prillaman