The Plundering of the Strong Man's Household

Today I would like to return to Matt.12 to share some additional insights from verses 28-30. The Pharisees are jealous and fearful because Jesus is drawing people away from their religious traditions of man. In an effort to undermine the faith of those whom Jesus is gathering to Himself, the Pharisees are attempting to discredit Him by attributing to the devil the messianic signs and wonders Jesus is demonstrating by the power of the Holy Spirit.

One of the messianic signs is that Messiah will cast out demons by the Spirit of God, which Jesus declares is an indication that "the kingdom of God has come upon you." He then instructs them using a parable as an example. In this parable, the "strong man" is satan, and the property being plundered is the authority he usurped when Adam fell. Mankind... who became captives of the kingdom of darkness (satan's household), being dead in our transgressions...is who is being "carried off." Jesus is the plunderer of the strong man's household Who, while on earth,
"went around doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil" (Acts 10:38).

It was for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil that the Son of God was made manifest (1John 3:8). Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus preached about and demonstrated the Kingdom of God, setting people free from the "works" of the devil; but it was upon His death, burial, and resurrection, that He preached to the spirits in prison (1Pet.3:19-20) and led captivity captive (Eph.4:8-10; Luke 4:18-19).

According to Luke 4:11:21, it's someone stronger and more powerful that attacks the strong man and "takes away from him all the armor on which he has relied." The armor upon which satan relied was the authority that he usurped from mankind, as a result of Adam's fall. It was upon His death, burial and resurrection that Jesus completed the plundering of satan's household by disarming the rulers and authorities by making a public display of them, triumphing over them. He fulfilled the decrees (the Law) that were hostile to us and, because of our inability to obey them, kept us in bondage to the devil. Jesus perfectly fulfilled those decrees and paid the penalty of death for our transgression of them, which had kept mankind enslaved to the devil (Col.2:15). Through Christ, the Father delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son (Col.1:12-14).

In verse 30, Jesus continues to teach that those who are not with Him are against Him; and those who don't gather with Him scatter. After His resurrection, In Matt. 28:18-20 and in Mark 16:15-18, He gives His followers the power and authority to continue His ministry throughout all the earth. We are to continue to "gather" with Him by bringing the Kingdom of God upon a lost and dying world...standing in and enforcing the victory He won for mankind when he plundered the kingdom of darkness.