Open—B. Erlandson
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Thread of scripture that's been before my heart.
In the last little while, and it is I could summarize with the statement, the rise and the fall of the enemy of our souls.
The rise and the fall of the strongman we've had reference in our readings to.
Deliverance from the authority of the power of darkness. Deliverance from the authority of darkness in Mr. Darby's translation, and the seed of these thoughts have come from a number of sources.
It's important to check your sources and in connection with that.
One other comment in.
Taking this part, I'm comforted and I'm encouraged by 4 words. Let the others judge that if there be anything that is not appropriate, that if there is anything of a discordant note, that it would be judged and that it would be clarified and I value that.
Those.
Sources one Mr. Mr. Ballot and some comments that he has made.
In respect to the.
The strongman and the binding of the strongman and the spoiling of his goods and clarity in this respect Matthew 4 we have the binding of the strongman and.
And we could say Matthew 8:00 and 9:00, we have a summary, a condensed version of the spoiling of his goods.
And.
Some I'll just read.
A couple of remarks of Mr. Ballot here. This binding.
Of him is the first great action of our Deliverer with our destroyer.
He then comes forth at once to enter his house and spoil his goods. In the due season he will be his bruiser as well as his binder and spoiler. He will bruise his head on Calvary. Then in the far distance he will cast him from heaven. Then he will put him into the bottomless pit, and finally he will cast him into the Lake of Fire. These are the ways of our great deliverer with our adversary.
It just thrills my heart to read.
Remarks like this and to think of what is going to develop and the.
The binding and the spoiling in a measure that has already taken place, but the fulfillment of it and so.
That.
That let's just let's just go to.
Matthew, Chapter 12.
To read of that, that remark, that phrase.
Verse 29, Matthew 12 and verse 29.
Or else, how can one enter into a strongman's house and spoil his goods?
Except he first bind the strongman, and then he will spoil his house. And that is what God purposed for his beloved son, to bind him, and to spoil his goods. Now the rise and the fall of the.
Strongman of our souls. Let's go back to Genesis. We had it in the Gospel last night, and we've had references to it in various.
Measures in in our other meetings, but just to just to consider the rise of the strongman Genesis chapter 3 and.
Just read a few different verses here. Verse one Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.
Mr. Darby reads more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made were no match for the craftiness of this one. And we, we can go down.
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Let's go to verse.
Verse 7.
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sold fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.
We little know what.
What a turn this is in the history of man.
The.
The fall of.
Adam and what it meant for this scene to.
To disobey.
One single instruction of the heart of God, and to turn away in disobedience, and to have the conscience awakened, and to be in fear of God from that point forward. 6000 years.
That's been the plight of man, to be under this.
Loss, this immense loss, and I've sometimes pondered what was the reaction.
In the heavenly company of the angels what what they saw here, They saw that creation taking shape, and then they saw man being created, God breathing into his nostrils the breath of life.
That that existence of God reserved for the human race and that link with God, that wonderful link and that communion that stemmed from that God coming down in the cool of the day and communing with Adam. What a blissful scene was theirs and.
In a moment of time, I'm sure it wasn't very long at all before the serpent came on the scene.
To to bring about this massive destruction that he he brought in. And so I've wondered about those angelic hosts. We know that they are capable of joy, joy in the presence of the angels of God over one Sinner that repents.
So they must be capable of sorrow too, and there must have been sorrow in that scene at what transpired down here.
And yet, in this account we have the deliverance intimated and we can we can go.
We can go on. Let's verse 14.
The Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle.
And of every beast of the field upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The Mr. Darby translates crush. It shall crush thy head, and thou shalt crush his heel under the woman. He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception and sorrow.
Thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. I know Adam, he said, Because I was hearkened under the voice of thy wife, and has eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it. Cursed is the ground for thy sake and sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also, and thistles shall I bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field, and the sweat of thy face. Shalt thou eat bread till thou return on the ground.
For all of it was thou taken, For dost thou art, and at a dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Just a little summary here of the effects of the Fall. The woman greatly multiplied thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and so on.
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We were visiting just yesterday about the the existence of a.
Department in a hospital called the NICU Neonatal Intensive Care unit. And that's one of the consequences of the fall complications in pregnancy and in childbirth. And I can't help but point ahead in taking this up. The rise and the fall of the strongman, the enemy of our soul. I can't help but point ahead.
To this all being lifted and the millennial age.
When the reign of sin is going to end and one of the things that's going to be lifted is this sorrel in conception and bringing forth children. The lights in the NICU unit are going to be shut off for the millennial age. I don't know what it's going to be like to give birth in the millennial age, but it's it's not going to have this travail that.
That I don't know anything about.
Quite honestly. But that is part of the human existence. We've had three children and it's been without complication.
Healthy children delivered and I'm very thankful for it. We've had 12 grandchildren, very few complications. They're healthy children. So thankful for the Lord's mercy in these practical things. And then Adam and the sweat of his brow. It's a good thing young men to have the sweaty or brow. Don't shy away from that. It's it's good that a man bear the yoke and his youth and.
You go on and do that and you won't regret putting effort into the sweat of your brows. So there's things to draw from that should encourage us in the even in the constraints of the path that we are in, the constraints of the fall and.
There's there's one other point here that I just I marvel at this last verse. Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. I really appreciate that that he would use that name that that would be what he would do. She was the mother of all dying. But he says he he, he points to this and to the hope that they have in that seat, mother of all living. And so I really appreciate that that Adam would take that that.
Of things and it's we should take that side of things too. Let's try to do that instead of taking the the negative side and blaming, let's take the positive side and look at what the Lord is going to bring out of things. So this is the the rise of the strongman.
I was going to start with something and it slipped my mind. So I'm going to I'm going to go back to the end here before we go any farther because we're we're taking up a wearisome topic here and.
I want to, I want to just point out where it all ends so that we will not become too wary with the with the subject Revelation chapter 20.
I really really like the word picture here of divine inspiration.
Revelation Chapter 20, we'll just briefly hear, look at the end and then we'll go back to the the binding and the spoiling.
Verse one I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil and Satan, and bound him 1000 years. That's the end.
As good as the end there's There's one more episode when he raises his ugly head, but it's brief.
And then and then he's done. But here it's an earthly scene and.
Just just one Angel. That's all it takes. And.
I'd like to see that chain. I would like to see that great chain because he's going to bring it down and the strongman is going to be bound. And it's it's, it's done. He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan and bound him.
1000 years that's why that millennial age is going to be as peaceful as it is is because he's not in the picture so just just a quick reference there to where this is all going to end in spite of the the the weariness of the subject but.
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The I hope that we focus more on the stronger than he than the strongman. So we'll go and we'll look at that that.
Binding First Matthew, chapter 4.
Matthew 4 and verse one then was Jesus LED up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward and hunger, and when the tempter came to him, he said.
If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, it is written.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down. For it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou shalt dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again.
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God again. The devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world.
And the glory of them. And saith unto him, All these things will I give unto thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee. Hence Satan. For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Here is the binding of the strongman.
And the Satan comes out and he comes out as soon as the Lord Jesus begins his his earthly ministry. He came on the scene as soon as Adam and Eve were in that wonderful setting of a garden. And he spoiled that. He thought he was going to have the same results here. And he ran into a brick wall, if we could put it that way. And he ran into one who was.
Walking and perfect obedience. That was the difference. It is written, it is written, it is written and that is how the Lord Jesus answered the strongman. That's how he was the stronger than he and what a response and what a what a picture it is, what an example it is for you and I to have no other reference than this pressure volume for our guidance.
I.
I don't avail myself of it as I should for the path, the steps of my my life. I'm sure that there would be a lot of things that would have been avoided if I was more diligence in those three words. It is written. And so that is.
The the way the Lord Jesus meets him. There's much to learn from these these little accounts. If you would make the take the time and go back to our early writers, there's differences.
In each question and each answer and he he walks in complete dependence on God the Father and.
That's that's the key, the devil leave with him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Now let's go to chapters 8:00 and 9:00 for a summary of the.
Spoiling of his goods.
It was.
Again, sources.
Bruce Anstey helped me with pointing out this chapter in connection with the spoiling of the Goods of the Strongman and the.
Condensed version of the Lord Jesus delivering different ones in different circumstances. Here there was, I don't think, there, I don't think a day passed in the life of the Lord Jesus where he didn't spoil the strong man's goods, where there wasn't a touch, there wasn't a deliverance, there wasn't a word.
That that would lift a burden. And so I don't limit it to just a certain, certain time here, but I, I think on the last day of his life, there was a spoiling of his goods. He instructed someone to take care of his mother, his mother in her need, the loss of her son. And that's an aspect of the spoken man's goods. And so.
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And just just one other thing in this connection.
With with doing this, in spoiling these goods, he bore everything. He felt everything and he bore it in his own soul when he faced all of these trials and his sorrows and his difficulties. So we'll just read a few of them here in the 8th chapter of Matthew verse one. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him and behold, there came a leper and worshipped him saying.
Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man, but go thy way. Show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at.
Of the palsy grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou should have come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and another come, and he cometh, And to my servant do this, and he doeth it. And Jesus heard it. He marveled, and said to them that followed. Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no.
Not in Israel. It's wonderful when we find refreshment to that blessed man. Verse 11 And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and West, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the heaven.
But the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said under the century, and go thy way, and as thou hast believes, so would be done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self same hour. Next Peter's wife's mother Jesus was come up on a Peter's house.
Mother laid and sick of a fever, and he touched her hand, and fever left her, and she arose and ministered unto them. And when even was come, they brought on him many that were possessed with devils. And he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick, that it might be fulfilled. Which was spoken by Isaiah's prophet, saying, himself took our infirmities and bear our sicknesses.
Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart.
Onto the other side, here's just.
Just a few of the spoiling examples of the spoiling of the strong man's goods, and that reference there to Isaiah surely have borne our griefs and carried our sorrows that remarkable.
Place of the Lord Jesus in his pathway and in his life.
And just want to look at one other scripture in connection with this.
This that he did.
I.
We read it this morning, but I can't put my finger on it just now. He.
He saw someone and he sighed at the at the condition and that the need and.
I've wondered how many times the Lord Jesus sighed in his pathway and in his interaction with his creature, and in seeing the the need and the failure, the weakness of man. And so he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. And so here in Matthew 8:00 and 9:00, He, I believe there are 12 instances.
Of the spoiling of the goods, but also.
A preview of the millennial age and all of these things being lifted. They won't be present in the millennial age. It just won't be. It'll be unknown in coming.
Another another aspect.
Of the rise and fall of the enemy of our soul, a strongman. Hebrews, chapter 12.
No Hebrews chapter 2.
Verse 14. Hebrews 2 and 14. For as much, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same.
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That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death. That is the devil. I understand a better word is is a null him that had the power of death. He went down into death and through that work.
Totally removed the power of death.
Someone has said that the basis that this scripture is the basis.
Of death no longer being our terror, but now being our servant.
Because it takes us out of the sphere of the body and it brings us into the presence of the Lord Jesus. And it is only through the cross that this has been gained. And so the the bed of death with all its terror for the unbeliever is, is a scene of peace for us. Mom and Dad both taken into the Lord's presence in the past year. And it's it's their servant.
For all who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus as their savior, that's that's what death does. It just translates us into the presence of the Lord Jesus. Wonderful, wonderful favor to you and I now.
In.
Romans 6. Let's read a little bit more of that that deliverance.
Verse 4, Romans 6 and verse four. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man.
Crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more death, has no more dominion over him. For in the died he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
So further.
Evidence and testimony of our deliverance and and what is gained through the death of the Lord Jesus and our deliverance.
He died unto sin once. If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, freed from sin. Wonderful condition that we are brought into now.
Ephesians 6.
And.
What's described here?
A sphere of the strongman.
Verse 12.
Good.
Fusion 6 and verse 11 put on the whole armor of God.
That ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the ruler of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
We don't know what this spear is like, we are no match against it, but it is.
Principalities powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. It's a strongman and it's his domain and it he operates from there. And he from that, from that vantage point, from that leverage, he's the source of all the sorrow and all the misery that we see in the world around us and.
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The Wiles of the devil.
Heal, work his.
His craftiness, he'll work it in my life, and he'll work it in yours.
And the only answer is the guidance of Scripture. And it may go on, it may go on for a year, may go on for 10, they go on for 30. But I am confident that the Lord is going to reveal everything and bring everything to light and that this will not have the last say.
But it is it is a very present.
President Sorrel, my dad told the story of hearing of someone experimenting with mind altering drugs in the early 60s and wondering how he was going to raise a family when this is what society was dabbling in and he I appreciated the the account this was.
Not that many years ago.
And how this stressed him out? It was, ironically, it was a man called Timothy Leary.
An English professor at Harvard University.
A an Ivy League school and he's not satisfied with his circumstances in life, so he's experimenting with LSD and see what it'll do.
He got some publicity at the time. He also lost his job at the time, kind of a pretty.
Dumb trade off if you ask me, but that's the that's the natural mind and.
The Lord and His mercy took care of a household from my dad.
Household for me. Now he's taking care of a household for my children. And you'll take care of your households too.
And he'll protect you and I from this.
This scene and now I want to go to the fall of the strongman and.
See see the end of this and see the replacement of it. It just it thrills my heart. Now go ahead to Revelation chapter 12.
I can't help but smile when we look at Revelation 12:00 and 7:00.
And with the backdrop of what we've just read in Ephesians chapter 6, because here in Revelation 12 and seven spells, the end of what we just read in Ephesians chapter 6.
Verse seven And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed. Not neither was their place found anymore in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world, he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a voice saying, In heaven now has come salvation and strength in the Kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accursed them, which accused them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives onto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil has come down unto you.
Having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And so here Michael and his angels, they fight, and the the dragon fights and his angels, but they prevail not. There was no place found for them anymore in heaven. And so the scene that we just considered in Ephesians 6 has come to a close.
Do you know what's going to replace it? Do you know what's going to replace this scene and who has made it up? You and I are. The church is going to take the place of what has been the source of misery and sorrow and unhappiness in this world. And the church, drawing on the source of Christ, is going to administer.
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Joy and happiness and peace here in this scene, in that millennial age.
You and I will have a hand in that. It'll all come from Christ, the head in the glory, and it's just such a thrill to my soul to think of.
That being closed and all the misery and sorrow that has come from that that sphere. And now that you and I are going to.
Take that place and we've been reading through Revelation, the early chapters of Revelation, our reading meeting at home.
And I was looking at some of Mr. Darby's comments and he makes we just just finished chapter 5 and Mr. Darby makes an interesting comment. He says that what takes place here in this scene, the devil being cast out, it happens before Revelation 5 begins. So he's gone when?
That scene takes place and the title deed to the whole earth.
Passes from the hand of God to the hand of the Lord Jesus and I just that's that seems to be perfect order to me. The revelation isn't necessarily linear and so that was I enjoyed that comment. Now let's go ahead and and finish this.
Chapter 20 where we where we read before.
Again Revelation chapter 20 and verse one. I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil and Satan, and bound him 1000 years. Cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up, Set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the 1000 years should be fulfilled, and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Now.
Verse seven. And when the 1000 years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. Gog. And May God together them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed, compassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city.
And fire came down from God out of heaven.
And devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. For the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever. That's the close of the course of the enemy of our souls, the course of the strongman. And it's going to come out one more time, and he will be answered immediately.
And that will be his, his end and lake of fire.
What a what a comfort it ought to be to you and I in this scene and in the conflict of it, that.
That is going to be the the close of the scene. May we? Maybe we seek to go on in faithfulness in the little while that is left for us.