The War We Can’t Afford to Lose

One of my great joys in life is when God helps me understand something I had not truly understood before. I had that experience recently comparing Luke 11:23 and Mark 9:40.

In Luke 11:23, Jesus says, “The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.” He says the same thing in Matthew 12:30. Yet in Mark 9:40, Jesus says, “For the one who is not against us is for us.”

I’ve seen these verses cited by atheists as demonstrating a contradiction in the Bible. But when you understand the context of both remarks, there is no conflict.

In Mark chapter 9 the disciples come upon a man who is casting out demons in Jesus’ name. But the man is not one of the twelve. Many people followed Jesus around from place to place, listening to his teaching, but it seems this man was not one of those either, for John tells Jesus, “he was not following us.” (Mark 9:38) So John and the twelve tell the man to stop. But Jesus says, in effect, leave him alone. Don’t bother him, “for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.” (Mark 9:39)

And immediately after that comes Mark 9:40: “For the one who is not against us is for us.” In Mark 9:40, Jesus is talking about people—and specifically, about people who are trying to help other people in the name of Jesus.

Now let’s look at the context of Luke 11:23 and Matthew 12:30. Jesus is casting a demon out of a man. Luke says the demon made the man mute; Matthew tells us that the man was not only mute but blind as well. After Jesus casts out the demon, the man is cured—he is able to both see and speak. But someone accuses Jesus of casting out demons through the power of Satan—Matthew explains that the accusation was made by some Pharisees, who were Jewish religious leaders.

Jesus defends himself by pointing out the nonsensical nature of the accusation—why would Satan cast out his own demons? It would be like soldiers in an army fighting among themselves. That’s a sure way to lose a battle, or a war.

Jesus’ defense extends from Luke 11:14 through 11:26, and in the midst of that defense comes the line in Luke 11:23, “The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.” In Matthew, Jesus’ defense runs from 12:22 to 12:32, and that line occurs in Matthew 12:30.

When Jesus says, “The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters”—the “one” he is referring to is Satan.

The Pharisees accused Jesus of being in league with Satan.  Jesus is pointing out that he and Satan are actually on opposing sides. Satan is “against Me.” While Jesus tries to gather souls for God, Satan is trying to sabotage those efforts and scatter people away from God.

In Ephesians chapter six Paul describes this conflict as a kind of warfare—but it’s not warfare against other people, but against spiritual forces of wickedness. We are at war with Satan and his demons.

Some people think of Satan and demons as actual creatures, evil beings who actively fight against God and try to lead people away from God through deception and temptation. Others think of Satan and demons metaphorically, referring to the “demons” within ourselves such as pride, self-centeredness, and self-indulgence. Whatever you conceive Satan and demons to be, that is who or what we are fighting against.

So Paul tells us how to fight: “put on the full armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:11) Note that while God has offered this armor to us, it is our responsibility to actually put it on. But we would be foolish to go into battle without it.

We start with the belt of Truth. For Satan is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44), whereas Jesus is “the Truth” (John 14:6). The battle lines are immediately clear, and we must come down on the side of Truth.

Next, we must put on the breastplate of righteousness. Of course we must always try to do what we know to be right, but more importantly, we must put on the righteousness of Christ. We cannot rely on our own righteousness, which is “like a filthy garment” (Isaiah 64:6). We must instead rely on what Christ has done for us on the cross. This is what Paul talks about in Philippians 3:9, where he says he relies not on his own righteousness, but on a righteousness “which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Our shoes are the gospel of peace, which prepares us for battle. “Gospel” means “good news,” and the peace Paul is talking about is our reconciliation with God which Christ has made possible. As Paul says in Romans 5:10: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” The good news is that our sin no longer separates us from God’s holiness—we are no longer enemies of God, but are now on the same side. We have peace with God.

We are also to take up the shield of faith. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” God gives us salvation because of our faith in Christ. And it is our faith that shields us when Satan hurls arrows like doubt, guilt, and fear.

The helmet of salvation refers to our assurance that we are saved—saved from God’s wrath, and promised eternal life. Whatever life may do to us, we have a home in heaven. As Jesus said in John 14:2-3: “In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. ”

Finally, we are given “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” And we know that the “word of God” refers not only to the Bible and to the words which Jesus spoke, but also to Jesus Himself, as John 1:14 makes clear: “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The “sword of the Spirit” includes prayer, as Paul says in Ephesians 6:18: “pray at all times in the Spirit.”

So equip yourself for battle with Truth, Faith, Christ’s Righteousness, the good news of our reconciliation to God, the assurance of our eternal salvation, and the assistance of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and prayer.

We need all of this equipment, for this is not a war we can afford to lose.