By the Finger of God
The Holy Spirit God, through Luke’s writings, describes how the activities of Jesus were demonstrating the power of His Kingdom over the forces of the Kingdom of Darkness. The religious people of the day were attributing the source of His power and His authority to His partnership with the Kingdom of Darkness. This was His reply (in several different Bible versions to help us get a full perspective of what is being said).
In the Amplified Classic Edition:
20 But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has [already] come upon you. 21 When the strong man, fully armed, [[a]from his courtyard] guards his own dwelling, his belongings are undisturbed [his property is at peace and is secure]. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks him and conquers him, he robs him of his whole armor on which he had relied and divides up and distributes all his goods as plunder (spoil). - Luke 11:20-22, Amplified Bible Classic Edition
In The Message:
17-20 Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces. If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the Devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, but if you’re slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil who kicks out devils, doesn’t the same mud stick to your own exorcists? But if it’s God’s finger I’m pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God’s kingdom is here for sure. 21-22 When a strong man, armed to the teeth, stands guard in his front yard, his property is safe and sound. But what if a stronger man comes along with superior weapons? Then he’s beaten at his own game, the arsenal that gave him such confidence hauled off, and his precious possessions plundered. - Luke 11: 17-22, The Message
In The Passion Translation:
20 Yet if I am casting out demons by God’s mighty power,[a] God’s kingdom realm is now released upon you—but you still reject it! 21 Satan’s belongings are undisturbed as he stands guard over his fortress kingdom, strong and fully armed with an arsenal of many weapons. 22 But when one stronger than he comes to attack and overpower him, the stronger one will empty the arsenal in which he trusted. The conqueror will ransack his kingdom and distribute all the spoils of victory. - Luke 11:20-22, The Passion Translation
The Kingdom that Jesus describes as being present on the earth today, now, and that is more powerful than the Kingdom of Darkness, and that is available for our engagement for our victory on this planet and forever is the Kingdom that is spoken about in Daniel 2:44 (again, in several translations):
The Message:
44-45 “But throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of heaven will be building a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom ever fall under the domination of another. In the end it will crush the other kingdoms and finish them off and come through it all standing strong and eternal. It will be like the stone cut from the mountain by the invisible hand that crushed the iron, the bronze, the ceramic, the silver, and the gold. - Daniel 2:44-45 The Message (MSG)
Amplified Bible Classic Edition:
44 And in the days of these [final ten] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break and crush and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever. - Daniel 2:44, Amplified Bible Classic Edition
New Living Translation:
44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. - Daniel 2:44, New Living Translation
Why would we spend all of our “time” in-time building and pursuing things that will not last beyond time and ignoring the most important things about us and who we are forever: the things in our lives that are eternal? Our God, His Word, His Kingdom, and we are eternal, and our concentration in-time must be on our eternalness and our relationship with our eternity.
