Mark 3:27 | Bind the Strong Man

Mark 3:27 (NKJV): "No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."

1) Authority in Christ

As followers of Christ, we are called to be soldiers. Not soldiers in the worldly sense, fighting against flesh and blood, but from a heavenly perspective. This concept is the whole point of Ezekiel 37; in Christ, we are raised by the Holy Spirit to serve God's Kingdom. Paul also writes letters that continually exhort the church to fight in a spiritual battle--a battle occurring all around us. The verse that sets the groundwork for this reality can be seen in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (NIV). If we believe in God, we must also believe that wicked forces are at work trying to separate us from Him.

If we approach this reality with a spirit of fear, then we are already defeating the purpose of having such knowledge. Paul is not telling us these things to intimidate us, make us feel powerless, or push us away from being active fighters in this spiritual battle. Paul's one purpose was to promote Jesus--which is also the purpose of all those who believe--so the reason he is writing these things is to promote Christ. The first statement Paul makes concerning this topic in Ephesians is to be "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV). Additionally, it makes sense why he then addresses the armor of God, of which we can equip ourselves to be prepared for this war. The first and primary point is that God fights our battles.

God fights our battles through the blood of the Lamb. By the power of Christ's sacrifice, we have been given incredible authority--even Godly authority. Jesus tells us Himself, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19 NKJV). Do we believe Christ's words? Because if we have the faith to believe, God says that we have authority to trample over all the power of the enemy. But what does Christ say next? "Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20 NKJV). Having authority is paired with having one's name written in heaven. And how does one get their name written in heaven? Simply by believing in Christ and His payment for our sins, and that in His resurrection, we have access to new life through the Holy Spirit.

2) House the Holy Spirit

We receive this Godly authority to overcome evil because of Jesus, who dwells within us when we believe. When we go through our own death to self and resurrection to life in Christ, we are now housing the Holy Spirit. To use an analogy, all that comprises who we are individually as living beings can be categorized as our "house."