Transcript:
I believe most people understand that, in many ways, life is a battle between good and evil. Most people have a sense that some actions are right while others are wrong. The purpose of law enforcement and courts is to protect productive people and punish destructive people. Many movies contain themes of good and evil.
The mindset of many is that the fight between good and evil is an even fight, meaning evil and good are of equal strength. Law enforcement is generally stronger than outlaws, although many criminals manage to evade justice for years, if not decades. There are some cultures where the police are so weak and the criminals so strong that the criminals act with impunity. Oftentimes in movies the good guys just barely triumph over the bad guys.
This mentality extends to the spiritual sphere. Many people, including many Christians, envision spiritual warfare as being an even fight between God and Satan, between angels and demons. They know that God will eventually win, but the picture in their mind is that God just barely wins.
However, that is not a correct picture. The spiritual battle between good and evil is not balanced. The fight between God and Satan is not an even fight. Yahweh’s strength far exceeds the power of Satan. There is zero possibility that Satan will win. Mark 9 contains a story that illustrates the overwhelming advantage Jesus has over Satan and his demons.
In the region of Caesarea Philippi Jesus began teaching His disciples that He had to suffer and die, but that He would rise from the dead. He also described the cost of being one of His followers.
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain by themselves. Jesus was transfigured. His clothes shone brightly. Elijah and Moses appeared beside Jesus, conversing with Him. A voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.”
Mark 9:9 ¶ And as they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to recount to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead.
Mark 9:10 And they seized upon that statement, arguing with one another what rising from the dead meant.
Peter, James, and John did not understand what Jesus meant by rising from the dead. We see in Mark 8:31-32 that Jesus had stated plainly, mere days earlier, that He would die and rise again. This is another example of the disciples not truly grasping what Jesus was teaching them.
It is easy for us to criticize their denseness, but we also read this with the benefit of hindsight. We know how events unfolded. Perhaps if we did not know how the story ends, we would also have trouble understanding Jesus’ meaning.
Mark 9:11 And they began asking Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Many verses in the Old Testament foretold the day of Yahweh. Malachi 4:5 contains a promise that Elijah would come before the coming of the day of Yahweh.
Mark 9:12 And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
Mark 9:13 But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”
According to Matthew 11:14, John the Baptist was the coming of Elijah.
Mark 9:14 ¶ And when they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.
Mark 9:15 And immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed. And as they ran up, they were greeting Him.
Mark 9:16 And He asked them, “What are you arguing with them?”
Mark 9:17 And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute;
Mark 9:18 and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”
Mark 9:19 And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”
This is one of several verses in the Gospels that indicate Jesus’ exasperation with the failure of people to grasp the truth.
Mark 9:20 And they brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around, foaming at the mouth.
Mark 9:21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.
This is almost comical. The spirit was throwing the boy around on the ground, but Jesus stood there and had a conversation with the father while it was happening.
Mark 9:22 And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
The father used the word “if”. People do not walk up to billionaires and say, “If you can afford it, would you make a $100 donation?” They know billionaires can make the donation, so they simply ask them to do so. The word “if” indicated the father had doubts that Jesus could cast out the demon. The father should have simply asked Jesus to help.
Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”
Jesus called out the word “if”.
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and was saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
The fact that the father brought the boy for help shows the father had at least some confidence that Jesus could do as he asked.
Mark 9:25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.”
Mark 9:26 And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!”
Many people picture the battle between God and Satan as being somewhat of an even fight. They know God will eventually win, but they think Satan has a fighting chance.
This event illustrates something different. All Jesus did was speak and the spirit left the boy. Jesus has total, complete control and authority over Satan and his demons. Satan has absolutely no chance of defeating God. Satan is completely at the mercy of God.
Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up.
Mark 9:28 And when He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
Mark 9:29 And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”
While Jesus had unquestioned control over Satan and his demons, humans do not. We are less powerful than unclean spirits. The only weapon we have against demonic activity is prayer. We need to appeal to God’s power in order to triumph over evil spirits.
Life is a battle between good and evil. Within humanity, that battle is an even fight. Sometimes law and order has the upper hand. Other times criminal enterprises have more power. Good humans have to constantly exert great energy to overcome evil people. Good nations have to sacrifice and work hard in order to ward off the aggressions of evil nations. Visual and performing arts portray equity in the fight between right and wrong.
As a result, many people picture the spiritual battle between good and evil, between God and Satan, as being a somewhat evenly matched contest. Even many Christians think God will just barely triumph over Satan.
Today’s passage from Mark 9 illustrates the correct nature of the conflict between Yahweh and His adversaries. When Jesus was asked to cast an unclean spirit out of a boy, all He had to do was speak, and the spirit obeyed. Obedience was immediate.
The spiritual battle between good and evil, between Yahweh and Satan, is not balanced. Yahweh’s strength far exceeds the power of Satan. There is zero possibility that Satan will win.
When we consider the ultimate spiritual battle, the picture in our mind should be a human picking up a thin sheet of paper and tearing it into shreds. The sheet of paper is completely helpless. It cannot resist. Likewise, Satan cannot resist Yahweh. Satan is totally helpless underneath the strength, power, and authority of Yahweh.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”
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