CHRIST'S PRISONERS
CHRIST’S PRISONERS
The confusion, which, as we have just heard, reigns in the world, is a consequence of sin, which has come into the world through man. It was first in Satan (1 John 3: 8), but has come into the world through man (Romans 5: 12). Sin gained an entrance by the fact that man acted in independence of God and in self-will. The confusion therefore is the consequence of man getting away from God. Satan still plays an important role today in the world system, and the fruit of his activity is this confusion.
But we read: “To this end the Son of God has been manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil”. He came, as we read in another passage, to bind the strong man and to bring man liberation from his power (Matthew 12: 29). Our scripture is illustrative of this truth. The Lord Jesus was here clothed with this gracious power and He was available to all. In grace He placed Himself at the disposal of every needy one, as we see from this whole chapter.
When the man possessed of a demon saw Jesus, “he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee torment me not”. Although the Lord in a certain way was at the disposal of all, nevertheless we never find that one possessed of a devil asked Him for help. That is also easy to understand, for the power of the devil is so terrible. It was not the man who said: “What have I to do with thee ... torment me not”, but the devil who was in the man. It is very worthy of note that as soon as the Lord met possessed persons He drove out the unclean spirits without waiting for any demand or request on the part of the possessed.
[p. 520] Of believers we read that they have been delivered from the authority of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son of the Father’s love (Colossians 1). We were like the children of Israel in Egypt, which is a picture of this world and whose ruler, Pharaoh, sets forth the god and prince of the world; and just as at that time Pharaoh acted with the children of Israel, so Satan strives to maintain dominion over men.
The thought of God for man, however, is salvation. Man finds himself actually in imprisonment. Satan uses the world and the things of the world in order to keep him prisoner, and no one besides the Lord Jesus Christ can bring us salvation. If we know what it is to be saved, we owe it all to Him. We can then also say: “To this end the Son of God has been manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil”. The works of the devil have been undone and we have become Christ’s prisoners. The enemy was never entitled to hold us prisoners, but Christ has in every way title to us, and He has taken us prisoner.
Now what is seemly for Christ’s prisoners? Verse 38 gives us the answer. Deliverance had been brought to the man; he had sat clothed and sensible at the feet of Jesus, and now he asked Jesus that he might be with Him. That was a beautiful feature. The love of Christ had awakened response in his heart and the man had now become Christ’s prisoner. He loved Him, and therefore he wanted to be with Him. So must it be with us. If we are Christ’s prisoners, we wish nothing better than to be with Him, in other words: ‘we love his appearing’ (2 Timothy 4: 8). It was so with the dying malefactor: “And he said to Jesus, Remember me, Lord, when thou comest in thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Verily I say to thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”.
For this man of whom we read here, the time had not yet come that he could be with the Lord. But the Lord could now let him go his way, for He knew that his heart beat for Him. Through his affection for Christ, he [p. 521] abode in imprisonment to Christ. The Lord had a word in that case for this man, as He has also a word for each of us. He let him go and said: “Return to thine house and relate how great things God has done for thee”. He is the prisoner of Christ and stands under the leadership of his Lord. It must thus be with us also. Through attachment to Christ alone can we be preserved, whilst His word determines our path.
It is not said that everyone should preach, nevertheless each one of us should be in the position to speak of what grace has done for him.
The man out of whom the devil had been cast did not appear to be able to elevate himself to the height of the thoughts of the Lord. Jesus said to him: “Return to thine house and relate how great things God has done for thee”; but we read: “And he went away through the whole city, publishing how great things Jesus had done for him”. It is necessary that we pay attention exactly to the words of the Lord, so that we do everything according to His thoughts. The word of the Lord governs our path here below, and if we enjoy His leading we are thereby preserved from contributing to the confusion; indeed we walk then in the path of the will of God.