“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring; they will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses. One will say, ;’I am the LORD’s’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; another will write with his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel'” (Isaiah 44:3-5).

Why do we think that the enemy is the “strong man”? “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:28-30). Is it not written, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10)? Remember also, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The strong man is the one that has been bound by the demons, and is set free when the demons are cast out. The strong man was bound, by demons, so that the enemy could steal from him what God has given.

It is written, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). God has given to us now hope, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. In Luke it is written, “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” (Luke 11:21-22). Again the strong man is not the enemy. But, what about the stronger one? The stronger one is only stronger because the strong man depended on himself to guard his own palace. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

I am the LORD’s. It was written, “another will write with his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.” Israel means, “he will rule as God.” Is that not the promised seed, Jesus Christ? Are we not called by His name? Now hope and the spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind has been given to me by God. Those are the things that the enemy wishes to steal. Those are the things that God protects when I put on the full armor of God and do not guard my own palace. Praise be to God in His fullness; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

© 2006, Tim D. Coulter Sr.