Luke 11:21-22 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoils.
Jesus' words are clear proof of why He appeared as the Son of God, to break the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). The place where the strong man usually kept his possessions was in the courtyard of the palace, a place where it was visible to others, but no one would dare take it because it belonged to the strong man who had authorities and powers serving him.
But then Jesus explains that this strong man is overpowered by a Stronger Man. Jesus used this very explanation when the Pharisees attributed Jesus' works and power to that of Beelzebub, and through this comparison, everybody would have known that Jesus was the Stronger Man overcoming a strong man.
You see, the Stronger Man came to do something that affected all of us, and that was to take away the strong man's full armor and divide his spoils (Luke 11:22). Satan was the first strong man; Jesus is the Stronger Man! Satan came with his power to rob and trouble us by desecrating the house of God, desperately trying to keep us away from God. Jesus' description of the strong man clearly shows why we were trapped in sin and darkness, because the strong man was 'fully armed.'
Looking at Jesus' description as the Stronger Man in the light of the rest of the New Testament, we get to see what Christ came for: to redeem us by disarming the strong man, overcoming him so that we can truly live free.
Paul described unto us what happened at the cross in Colossians 2:13-15: "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us." And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
May you see today how Jesus came to strip the 'fully armed strong man'" of all his weapons, disarmed him, overcame him, and through it set us free! Now we can stand strong in Him with the full armor of God (Eph 6:11) in His strength, His truth, His righteousness, His peace, His faith, His redemption, and the precious word of God!
Amen