Oculi

Not only was the demon possessed man deaf and mute, Matthew records that he was blind. The poor man was in some serious trouble: deaf, mute, blind, and also demon possessed. It may seem as though he won the lottery with a quadruply unfortunate combination of bad luck, but this man’s ailment is not rare, nor was it the result of chance. This condition is, in fact, exceedingly common. It is the default state of every person born into sin.

You were this man: born into the kingdom of Satan, a thrall to his will, a slave to every sinful desire. Your foolish eyes and heart were darkened, unable to know God or come to the knowledge of the truth. Your ears were closed to the saving words of the Gospel, and your mouth was shut, incapable of confessing Jesus as Lord. You belonged to Satan, the strong man, and fully armed with his lies, he guarded his own palace, and his goods were safe.

Safe, that is, until Satan was driven out by the finger of God. “Receive the sign of the Holy Cross on both your T forehead and upon your heart T to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. Depart, unclean spirit, and make way for the Holy Spirit.” From ancient times, the Church has rightly understood that baptism is exorcism. Satan is cast out, ears that were shut are opened, “Ephphatha!” and mouths that were closed begin to confess, “I believe in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son…” When this happens, Jesus says, when the devil is driven out, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Lk 11:20). This is nothing other than Holy Baptism, for Jesus also says, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” Jn 3:5).

Whenever Satan is cast out and one he formerly possessed is granted entrance into the kingdom of God, there is always great howling and outrage among the hosts of hell, and not just from demons. Any person who is not a member of the kingdom of God is a mindless thrall of Satan, and they too lash out in anger against Christ and his truth. We see this outrage in our world today. If you invite all people to turn away from their sins and receive forgiveness, you will be called intolerant and unwelcoming. If you confess the biblical truth that marriage is between one man and one woman for life, you will be told that your heart is full of hate. If you dare to say that a man wearing a woman’s swimsuit is still a man, you will be labeled transphobic and an oppressor of women. The devil always accuses Christ and his followers of being what he is: intolerant, full of hate, anti-woman, and in league with Beelzebul, the prince of demons.

Jesus shows us how to deal with Satan and his lies. We cannot reason with him, we cannot seek his approval, we cannot declare a truce. Satan must be cast out with the Word of God. But sadly, many Christians, desiring the praise of the kingdom of Satan, are desperate to maintain some sort of peace with the enemies of God. They’ll say: “The church should not get involved in political matters. For the sake of kindness, let’s use female pronouns to refer to men who are mentally ill. What’s the harm in that? As long as we are free to believe the truth in our hearts, we shouldn’t need to express the faith in the public square.”

I know that some Christians, perhaps a few in this room, are so full of kindness and gentleness they would not hurt an ant, literally. That is a beautiful expression of the love of God. Not everyone enjoys a good fight and that’s ok. But we must be careful that this godly desire for peace does not overpower our love for Christ and his Word. There can be no peace with Satan and his kingdom. This is why Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Lk 11:23). If you are not at war with the devil’s kingdom, it is because you have joined it.

What does it mean to be “with Jesus”? For starters, it means to be baptized. That’s how we are first joined to Christ. But baptism, once begun, is always continued in the life of a Christian. Through baptism you became a member of the Church Militant, and it’s called this for a reason. We are at war. The strong man who was driven out of your heart did not go willingly, and even now he is plotting his return. The devil doesn’t give up when he’s defeated. He regroups, he gathers reinforcements, and he waits for the first opportunity. Jesus warns, “When a demon finds a heart swept and put in order, it returns with seven other spirits more evil than itself” (Lk 11:25–26).

What does it mean to be “with Jesus”? He says in John chapter 8, “If you abide in my word, then you are my disciples” (Jn 8:31). You cannot claim to be “with Jesus”, if you do not embrace His teaching. You cannot call yourself a member of the Church Militant, if you are unwilling to fight for the truth. You cannot consider yourself a disciple of Jesus, if you are ashamed of his words. Sadly, many Christians are ashamed. They are ashamed when Jesus says that He is the only way of salvation. They are ashamed that He has created men and women with distinct roles within marriage, within society, and within the church. They are ashamed of being ridiculed by friends and family for having an outdated position on any number of hot-button issues.

If I am speaking of you, then repent. Have you been afraid to boldly confess the truth of God’s word? Have you been careful to retain the friendship of this world and avoid the label of a closed-minded fundamentalist? Have your opinions and beliefs been formed more by Satan’s catechesis than the Word of God? Repent. If it becomes evident that you hold to a practice or belief that is contrary to the Word of God what is your response? Do you change the subject and refuse to consider the truth? Do you “agree to disagree”? I pray that your response is one of repentance. I pray that you would say with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Ps 51:10).

Jesus is always casting out a demon that is deaf and mute. The work that the Holy Spirit began in your baptism will continue until the day of your death. Because the devil never stops scattering his lies, your ears must be opened to the Gospel again and again, even at this moment. And your tongue must be loosed to proclaim the saving truth of God’s Word with boldness and confidence. No, it is not impossible for you, a follower of Christ, to enjoy the praise and honor of this world. Baptism has marked you as an enemy of Satan and his kingdom. The strong man plots and schemes and rages, and we have no might against him, but thanks be to God, the stronger Man has come.

Our Lord Jesus overcame Satan at the cross and despoiled him of his armor and all his possessions, including you. Now you belong to Christ. You are marked with the finger of God, baptized into His Triune name. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence in your heart, and He does not leave it empty. He fills it with the Word of God. How blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it! (Lk 11:28) Truly, the kingdom of God has come upon you (Lk 11:21). Amen.