Oculi

In the last week, there have been frequent comparisons between the emerging coronavirus crisis and outbreaks of plague in previous centuries: the Spanish Influenza of 1918, which infected a quarter of the world’s people, or the Black Death, which is estimated to have killed half of the population of medieval Europe. Many people, many Christians, have been asking, “Is this how it ends?” I can assure you that the coronavirus will not bring about the end of the world. That day is in our Lord’s keeping, and only by his command and in his time will the Final Day dawn. And when it does, it will be an occasion for great rejoicing among believers, not fear.

But until that Day comes, Jesus has promised that he will guard and protect his people. He will be with us through every storm, every pandemic, and the gates of hell will not prevail the Church that Christ has built. Certainly, we will face suffering, temptation, disease, and even death in our brief sojourn on earth, but you are safe in the hands of Jesus, and he loses none that his Father gives him.

Today, I must remind you of our true enemy. The real danger that we face today is not the coronavirus. It is not a disease that can kill the body. Our true enemy is the ancient and wicked foe, the destroyer of faith, Satan, the father of lies. Jesus calls him “a strong man,” and indeed, he is. There is none on earth his equal. Fully dressed in his armor, he guards his kingdom, and his possessions are safe. Human efforts are powerless against him. You can’t cast him out. You can’t prevent his designs. The mortality rate for sinners is 100%, and no one can avoid the fate that awaits us all. It’s ironic that when the media, which cannot always be trusted, tells us that the coronavirus is coming, everyone panics. On the other hand, God’s Word, which cannot lie, tells us that the Day of Judgment is coming, and most people couldn’t care less.

The whole world sits in the lap of the evil one, and his kingdom is secure. His possessions are safe. You once were one of the devil’s possessions. You belonged to him, a slave to sin, condemned under the law of sin and death—until the coming of the stronger man. That man is Jesus. He defeated our enemy, stripped him of his armor, and confiscated his goods, When Jesus sent the devil packing, he claimed you as his own. This happened to you in Holy Baptism. The finger of God touched you, and the strong man was driven out by God the Son. Then God the Father wrote his name upon your forehead, and God the Holy Spirit took up residence in your heart. The devil was despoiled and cast out, and God claimed you as his own.

How did Jesus triumph? How did he defeat our cunning and deadly foe? With the power of his Word. In his temptation Jesus’ only weapon was the Word of God: “It is written.” Jesus showed us how to do battle. “One little Word shall fell him.” The devil trusted in his armor, in his lies, in his whispering, and trickery. But the Word of God drives him out, and this is our victory.

But the battle is not entirely over. There is still great danger for the Christian today, but not from the coronavirus. The greatest danger that believers face happens when we forget who our true enemy is and no longer see the need to rely on Jesus. The troubles of this world can be a great distraction. We can easily get caught up in the hype, neglecting our true fight, and forgetting to arm ourselves with the only weapon against the devil, that is, the Word of God.

Jesus tells us how this happens. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order” (Lk 11:24–25). Jesus is talking about what happens to a Christian after baptism. After the devil has been cast out, he doesn’t give up. First he licks his wounds, but then he comes snooping back around, and what does he find? Does he find a heart and a home that is filled with the Word of God? If so, he flees. But if he finds an empty heart, a house that is swept clean and put in order but without the Word of God, a mind that is so busy with the cares of life that it has no time to listen to the words and promises of Jesus, a home devoid of the one thing that drives him away, what does the wicked spirit do then? He goes and finds seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and moves back in.

Jesus warns us of a very real danger, one that, unlike the coronavirus, has eternal consequences. First, you had better believe that evil spirits are real. Paganism is making inroads in the United States. It should go without saying that no Christian can take part in Satanic rituals, seances, or attempts to communicate with the spirit world. If you go fishing in the demonic realm, you just might catch something.

But the more relevant danger to most Christians is the tendency toward apathy. “Yep, I’m a Christian. I was baptized.” What does that mean? For many Christians, not a whole lot. Is God’s Word their chief treasure? Is it your chief treasure? How would anyone know? How would your children and your family know? Do you read your Bible at home? Are the words of Christ on your lips and in your heart? If not, heed Jesus’ warning. Your adversary the devil didn’t throw in the towel when he was driven out. He is still seeking a way to devour you, looking for a back-door entrance into his old home. God’s Word is our only defense against his wiles.

While Jesus was still speaking, a woman in the crowd shouted out, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” (Lk 11:27). She is an example to us of how easily we can lose our focus on what really matters. Our eyes are too often led away from Jesus to frivolous things and temporal cares. We are so easily distracted by the latest headlines, by fear of losing our possessions, even by the good desire to protect our loved ones. “Blessed is the womb that bore you…” “No,” Jesus says, “Blessed instead are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28). Blessed is the one who hears God’s Word with a glad and eager heart, and who cherishes and treasures it above all else. Jesus is teaching us of the one thing that we truly need. He is demonstrating the effectiveness of the only weapon that drives out our true enemy. God’s Word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever; to spread its light from age to age Shall be our chief endeavor. Through life it guides our way, in death it is our stay. Lord, grant, while worlds endure, we keep its teachings pure through all generations. Blessed are you who hear and treasure God’s holy Word. Amen.