They Cannot Overpower Us

Tonight, our Bible study looked at the second part of Luke chapter 11. Jesus has delivered a person from a demon which rendered him mute and the crowd of onlookers accuse our Saviour of working for Beelzebub (a title of Satan, meaning lord of the flies, or dunghill.) Jesus proceeds to dismiss this notion by saying that the kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. He talks of a demon having been expelled from one man returning shortly after with seven fellows even more wicked than himself.

There were a good many questions about demons, their origins and purpose. The Bible does provide us with information about these creatures; enough that we might not be ignorant but not sufficient for us to obtain any level of expertise. They are not really any of our business, though we must be on our guard.

I thought it fitting to close with Martin Luther's great hymn, the third verse of which reads:

And were this world all devils o'er,
and watching to devour us,
we lay it not to heart so sore;
they cannot overpower us.
And let the prince of ill
look grim as e'er he will,
he harms us not a whit;
for why? his doom is writ;
a word shall quickly slay him.