Sermon - Oculi 2024 - Luke 11:14-28

The Loving Jesus Chases Demons into Pigs, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1860

Neutrality is not an option

1. This World knows that you must choose a side

2. Jesus demands that we choose a side, and if we’re not with Him then we’re against Him

3. So let us hold onto the Stronger Man and not let Him go

Generally speaking, neutrality is not an option in our culture and the world expects us to pick a side. Russia or Ukraine, Israel or Palestine, Trump or Biden, 49ers or the Chiefs. Even if you don’t know anything about the issues or at least not enough to make an informed decision, you’re still expected to choose a side. That’s how this world works because the strong man of this world, the prince of darkness, the devil, knows that “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” It’s not so much that the devil wants you to vote for a certain party or support a certain team, rather he wants you to be wholly invested in this world. The decision the devil wants you to make is worldliness.

Understand this, the devil is a master of Public Relations and publicity. The devil knows no one would want to join his side if it was obviously and blatantly evil and miserable. So instead he knows that if he can’t outright win you for himself, he can at least win you against Jesus, and in so doing he covertly wins you for himself. Because there are only two sides: the way of life and the way of death, the road to paradise and the road to perdition, with Jesus or against Him. So as long as the devil can get you to not be fully on board with Jesus, then he has won you for himself.

This is true because in a competition there are only winners and losers, and if you’re not one of the winners you lose. There’s no consolation prize or participation ribbon in this. You’re either with Christ or against Him. Like Jesus explained: “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.” Jesus couldn’t be any clearer! There’s no room for neutrality, and if you’re not fully on board with Him, then you’re against Him. And if you’re against Him, then you lose.

Remember a couple weeks ago where Christ went toe to toe against the devil in the wilderness and He won! Remember when Jesus went toe to toe against the devil on the cross and He smashed the devil! The devil is a strong man, but Jesus is the stronger man! “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.” Jesus is the winner in this competition, and if you’re not with Him then you lose.

So perhaps the most commonly used tactic of the devil is to lull us into a false sense of neutrality and lukewarmness. If he can make us fall in love with this world and its pleasures, then he can make us lukewarm in our faith. It’s like the church in Laodicea: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” This is the lie that so many have swallowed hook, line, and sinker. It was a problem in Laodicea, and it’s a problem in America.

How many Christians think church attendance is optional? Or how many think that they can invest everything into this life and sacrifice nothing for their faith? How many would sooner choose their family or friends or careers or wealth over Christ? How many are so enamored with their earthly riches that they see no need for God in their lives?

Of course many of those people still consider themselves Christians, even though they aren’t fully on board and committed to Christ. This is an incredibly dangerous place to be! They are trying to be neutral, or to straddle the fence, to be of the world and to be of Christ. This is the devil’s malicious lie, that neutrality is possible, and that you can be lukewarm in the faith and still be saved. It’s so dangerous because those people assume everything is okay, they call themselves Christians (when it’s not inconvenient), but in reality their soul is possessed by Satan.

The only thing worse than a person who has never known Christ and belongs to the devil, is a person who has known Christ, got his life together, and now again belongs to the devil. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” It is worse to have your life put back in order by Christ, to have all of the outward appearances of success, but inwardly you belong to the devil. For one thing Jesus says there are more demons there than at first. But the other thing about it is that they don’t look like a person who needs to be saved because their life looks great!

This is such an important thing for all of us to recognize, mainly for two reasons: Firstly for the sake of others, but secondly for our own sakes. To the first point: Those folks who claim to be Christian, and yet are quite neutral or lukewarm in regards to their faith, let us swiftly encourage them to return to the faith. I know we don’t like to think that some people we love might not go to heaven, but we can’t be under the delusion that everyone will go to heaven just because at one point they confessed Christ. 

We have to come to terms with this fact, otherwise if we just keep assuming that everything is okay when it’s not, we will do nothing and those whom we love will be lost. It doesn’t do anyone, except Satan, any favors to keep our heads buried in the sand and ignore the problem going on around us. It’s hard to stomach, but once we’ve come to terms with reality we can start to do something about it. Those Christians who have fallen away can be encouraged and admonished to return to the fold. Will they all return? Who knows. But, if we say nothing then they’re even less likely to return. What will bring them back? Only the Word of God. The same thing that keeps us in the faith is what will bring back those who have strayed from the faith.

Let’s now go to that second point, about how this is important for us: let us be encouraged not to be neutral but to be fully with Christ. What does that mean? Like Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” This can often sound rather trite, I suppose, because too often we talk about hearing God’s Word very generically. But God’s Word is more than words on a page, because Jesus is the fulfillment and the embodiment of God’s Word. When we hear the Word of God and keep it, we’re holding onto Jesus Himself. What’s more, the words we are to hold onto are the words which apply directly to us. What’s your vocation, your station in life, your temptations and trials? The words that apply to those situations are the words you must really hold onto. You hold onto God’s Word by living it.

As we read in Ephesians: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and give Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God… Walk as children of light.” This light of Christ and love of God is the Word that we must hear and hold onto. We are to walk in the light of Christ, living in God’s word. Seeing the darkness around us which draws us away from the Light, let us always live in the Light which shines brightly through the word of Jesus. This Light of God’s word has the power to bring back the lukewarm and to strengthen those already with Christ. See that Jesus speaks to you, His followers, warning you of the devil’s attacks of neutrality so that He might draw you closer to Him. He is the Stronger Man who plunders the devil, and you are the plunder. Hold Him fast!