Apr. 21, 2024

Binding the Strongman, (BTS, 21 Apr 24)

Introduction - The next several lessons we will cover will attempt to teach us how to pray.  Seems like a simple thing, doesn’t it?  We have a need, (which are never-ending) we ask God to supply it or solve it, and wait for the answer.  Anyone who has been a Christian more than a few weeks realizes that many things bear upon how rapidly the request is answered, and how it gets answered.  There certainly is more to praying than making a few requests.  Jesus disciples seemed to know this, so they asked him…

Luke 11:1-8 Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon.3 Give us each day the food we need, 4 and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation. ”5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. NLT

This is a simple lesson, isn’t it?  Just keep praying!  This is a definite, powerful truth which works, but it works much faster when coupled with other tools of spiritual warfare.  There are many other dimensions to successful praying, which we will be learning about.  Here’s one for thought today -binding the strongman.

Matthew 12:29 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. NLT

Satan has a kingdom which probably has some structure within it, similar to the structure of the Kingdom of God which he rebelled against and left.  This is alluded to in Ephesians 6, referred to by Paul as “rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.”  There are demons in charge of a descending order of areas of the earth, down to small towns  and neighborhoods.  The idea of the strongman was spoken by Jesus Himself.  It is in the Bible for a critical reason. 

Conclusion - It takes a long time to cut down a tree with a butterknife, but only a couple minutes with a chain saw.  We must become students of prayer warfare, working smarter, not harder!