Matthew 12:29-32 Bind the Strong Man
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: March 25, 2019, Matthew 12:29-32
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) Jesus spoke to us with words, so when we answer with words of rejection, we are blaspheming against Jesus. The Holy Spirit speaks to us differently. Thus, it is a different process to blaspheme against the Spirit. The Spirit is dealing with our inward convictions and morals. Thus, to reject Him is to do away with those convictions and morals. It is the Spirit’s job to draw us to God for forgiveness and reconnection. As long as we push back against the Spirit, we will never reach God and the forgiveness He offers. To speak rejection against the Father or the Son is surface thought, but to speak rejection of the Spirit when He whispers to our heart is to harden our hearts and remain distant from God. It is to reject forgiveness.
The Pharisees are accusing Jesus of cooperating with Satan. Jesus replies that far from working together with the devil, He is essentially mugging the devil and taking the devil’s stuff from him. Jesus is not the devil’s confederate. Jesus is the devil’s nemesis. Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they are rejecting God’s Spirit sent to show them the way and choosing the very false spirit that they claimed that Jesus was serving. I like how Jesus is basically saying that Jesus himself has entered Satan’s house and taken Satan’s treasures away from him, not sneakily but through the fact that He is stronger than Satan, and the devil cannot withstand Jesus.
Jesus speaks of the age to come as a fact, not like He is revealing new light. There is the age of sin on earth, but there is another age that will be without sin. I think that in speaking about rejecting the Father or the Son, Jesus is saying that there will be people in the age to come who never believed in Him and said that they reject the message of Christianity, but that never rejected the leading of the Spirit when He spoke quietly in their mind.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that Jesus is stronger than the devil and has the advantage in every confrontation. I need to stand with Jesus and let Him use me to gather others. I need to be as close to You as I can get. I pray for that closeness.