Source: Martin Luther, “Oculi,” Matthias Loy, ed., Dr. Martin Luther's House-Postil, or, Sermons on the Gospels for the Sundays and Principal Festivals of the Church Year. Volume 1. Two Volumes. Second Edition. (Columbus, Ohio; J. A. Schulze, 1884), pp. 371-388.
Luke 11, 14-28. And He was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven. But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand ? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast but devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as He spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bare Thee, and the paps which Thou hast sucked. But He said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.
Again we have presented for our consideration a Gospel which treats of the casting out of a devil. The same motive which led to the selection of the Gospel for last Sunday, is apparent in selecting that for to-day; namely, to exhort people in this, season of Lent to cast out the devil through sorrow, penitence and confession of sins, so that thus an amendment of life may be wrought. But it matters not whether we read this Gospel today or to-morrow, in summer or during Lent; it will ever be exceedingly valuable, because it exhibits to us a deed of our Lord and Savior, which not only occurred at that time, but the effects of which shall continue to the end of the world, as long as His kingdom is on earth. A similar deed was presented to our notice by the Gospel of last Sunday. To-day we are also told what people thought of it, and this affords us an occasion to learn a very important lesson. First, however, we will dwell upon the deed itself.
We are to learn from this report of the casting out of a devil the most consoling truth that Christ is the Lord over the devil and his realm; and, further, that this work, then begun in the body, did not terminate, but still continues in the Church of Christ, and will continue until the judgment day. For the accomplishment of this work Christ has instituted the necessary means; namely, Holy Baptism, the Lord's Supper, the Word and Absolution, also other offices pertaining to the ministry, whereby the devil is to be cast out from the people, so that they may become free from his thralldom and that his kingdom may be destroyed. For it is plainly written in this respect: Verbum meum non redibit vacuum—My Word shall not return void. As the rain which falls upon dry land produces vegetation and blossoms, thus does the Word of God, most assuredly, produce fruit in some hearts. The Holy Spirit is connected with the Word to illumine, incite and purify the hearts, that they may be set free from the tyranny and oppression of the devil.
This transaction is not visible to the outward eyes, as it was when Christ cast out the devil; it may be entirely imperceptible to the world, which is indeed not worthy to see the least spark of divine light and power, and which is blind, reviles, abuses and defames that which is good, as it did even here in the presence of Christ. We, however, who have and believe the Word, ought to perceive and know this truth which is so full of comfort, that God has ordained among us the means whereby we can and must continually cast out devils.
Every little child born into the world belongs to the kingdom of the devil, where he is lord and exercises his authority on account of sin. Therefore we must bring the little ones to holy Baptism, according to Christ's command, that they may be regenerated into the kingdom of God, as the Lord Himself says, John 3.; then will the devil be cast out and leave them. When the child is baptized into the death of Christ, God bestows upon it His mercy. Thus, also, when a poor distressed conscience, which the devil has caught in his meshes unawares, comes to me for consolation and instruction, I and all Christians have the authority, by Christ's command, to console and cheer the sorrowing brother, by assuring him of the mercy of God through the death of Christ. Then the devil must withdraw; not, indeed, because I a poor miserable sinner have ordered him to do so, but on account of the word of absolution, which Christ has given us upon earth. Again, when our conscience is terrified and timid, so that doubts arise whether God will be merciful and forgive us our sins, we have the Lord's Supper, which Christ Himself instituted as a consolation most sure; because if we partake of His body and blood, we can have no longer any ground to doubt that He gave His body into death for our sins arid that His blood was shed for their remission. Where there is such faith and assurance the devil must clear the field; his occupation there is gone.
Thus must the Church of Christ continually engage in the work of expelling the devil. Her warfare with the wicked old serpent, who shows his fangs with a bitter determination to establish his dominion, is a perpetual one. Of these deeds Christ speaks when He says, John 14: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
The reason of this is that the Christian Church extends her offices much farther than Christ did. He labored within the narrow limits of a portion of Judea, and converted but few, since He preached only a little over three years. The Church, however, under the guidance and protection of her Head and Master, Jesus Christ, who sitteth at the right hand of God, continually pursues the work of evangelizing the world. She preaches the Gospel, administers the sacraments, rebukes the devil unceasingly on account of his wickedness, and casts him out in various places, even from her own domain; for we are not yet entirely rid of him, and must be very vigilant against his wily movements.
Such treatment chagrins the devil very much. And as we cast him out by preaching and the holy sacraments, if he does not succeed in regaining his position he excites persecutions to drive us from the field. Thus it has ever been, and ever will be until the end of time. Christ Himself experienced this; He could not endure the devil, and drove him out wherever He was asked to do so. Hence the devil had a terrible grudge against Jesus, and by means of the Jews nailed Him on the cross and drove Him out of the world. But the devil was routed after all.
Christ did not only cast the devil out of this poor man in our Gospel, but, as we read in the first epistle of St. John, chap. 3: “He came to destroy the works of the devil," that is, to take away from Satan the power over those who believe in Christ. They, however, who do not accept Jesus, remain under the dominion of the devil, and must finally perish as did the Jews; there is no escape from this fate. The faithful, on the other hand, shall be secure; yea they cast the devil out through the Word, and will on the day of judgment sit with Christ as judges over the devil and all the wicked. …
We have sufficient reason, then, heartily to thank God for such abundant grace, and should not complain if now and then the devil annoys us. He is very much out of sorts that we poor sinners should have the ability, by means of the Word, to compel him to move his quarters; for he is a very proud and self-important spirit. He proposes therefore to take full vengeance upon us, and besets us with persecutions and afflictions. These we should endure patiently, since we know that we can not only cast him out, but that we shall also be his judges to condemn him for ever into the abyss of hell.
From such deeds we should learn to esteem highly the Word of God and the holy Sacraments, and not speak of them so disrespectfully as the philosophers commonly do. If we judge the sacraments merely by our sight, it is true, we can see in them only external signs. Thus the Word is also an external thing, which we hear with our ears and read in the Scriptures; and the Christians are bodily, visible men, but on that account they are not to be despised. If a Christian uses the Word according to the command of Christ, he has the power to drive the devil before him on every occasion.
The humble appearance of the Word and Sacraments ought not to offend us, but should be for us a source of thanksgiving to God for His merciful condescension in giving us by such humble means the greatest of divine blessings. We men are in the conflict with Satan weak as a straw, so that, if he could bring all his power to bear upon us, we would surely have to perish. But what does God do in our behalf? He lights up this wavering little straw by means of His Word, the fire divine, and prepares such a bright light and lustre in the world that the devil is confounded and affrighted; he is compelled to leave his hiding- places and to remove his habitation. Hence the apostle Paul calls the Gospel a divine power, through which men are saved; a power of God which rescues from sin and death, giving in return justification and life, bringing us from hell into heaven, from the kingdom of the devil into the kingdom of God.
We Christians should be well acquainted with this fact and praise God for it; we should esteem His Word and Sacraments as our highest treasure and blessing. The unbelievers however are not worthy to perceive such glorious majesty and power of the Word of God, as it is well said; Tollatur impius, ne videat gloriam Dei, “The wicked man must be removed that he cannot see the glory of God;” or as Isaiah says concerning the Jews: “Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not." We have indeed great reason to thank God for the knowledge and experience of the glory and majesty of His Word, and should heartily rejoice and be comforted that we poor beggars and sinners have such a power at our command, before which the devil cannot stand.
Thus the work of casting out the devil still continues among the Christians; the deaf hear and the dumb begin to speak, though not in an external manner. For surely, it is a mightier work to drive the devil from the heart than merely to expel him from the body. The heart of man is his strongest fortress. Christ however drives him also out of the body, that we may realize His power, seeing it with our eyes, and that we might firmly believe that He will also, by the Word and Absolution, by Baptism and the Lord's Supper, though they be humble means, drive out the devil effectually from the heart, no matter how well he may have fortified himself there.
Such gracious gifts God has bestowed upon us. We ought to use them earnestly and well, with gratitude and assurance, against the devil, that we may drive him from his stronghold in the hearts of men. He may persecute us as to the body on this account, but that matters not; when the day of judgment comes he will be expelled from his power forever. This is the first lesson of the text, for which, rejoicing in the comfort, we ought to be duly thankful to God.
The Gospel continues to relate what that saintly virgin, the world, thought of this deed of Christ. There were three kinds of spectators there. The first class, consisting of the common people, was the most devout. They are astonished at this deed of Christ, and, undoubtedly, praised God for what they saw. But the number of those whose eyes are opened, who perceive the glory and might of the Word, is very small; they regard its effect as wonderful, and do not cease to praise the Word of God, which converts the people and deprives the devil of his power. They, therefore, never weary of hearing the Word preached to them.
The other two classes of beholders have their hearts hardened. With open eyes they do not perceive that it must be a divine power which quickly healed the man who had been deaf and dumb, so that he could hear and speak like other men, yea, a power which made the man who had been raving and mad, peaceable and quiet. These people are so blind, foolish and wicked that they ascribe this merciful deed of Christ, which they had witnessed, to the devil.
They might have been amazed and could have said: He casteth out the devils, therefore it may be that He possesses some especial influence, or a peculiar gift of God. This, however, they do not say, but with effrontery assert that God could have nothing to do with this deed, that the devil must be in Christ, and that the whole occurrence was only trickery and deception. They denied that it was a miracle of God; if it was one at all, they think, the devil must have wrought it. So blind and covered were there eyes, so hardened were their hearts, that they do not see the finger of God in this deed, and even venture to say that it is the work of the devil, such as conjurers may perform.
In this their wicked assertion and horrible blasphemy, they are so bold that they call the devil by a very disreputable name, Beelzebub, which means a bumblebee or a fly. They speak scornfully of the devil, as if they were great saints, full of the Holy Ghost, and the devil, compared with them, were like a bumblebee. Paul, the mighty apostle, does not thus disdainfully speak of him, but calls him a prince, the god of this world. But these big saints imagine that if they speak contemptuously of the devil they represent his casting out by Christ as an insignificant performance. They mean to say: This deed is not worthy of astonishment, for the devil can easily cast out another devil.
They cannot deny the deed itself, so they intentionally disparage it, and forget that they themselves are possessed of a thousand devils, since they are blasphemers, murderers, liars, seducers and in every way the most pliant tools of the devil, and all this because they act as though they had nothing to fear of him.
It is not otherwise in our day. The blessed Gospel, God be praised, is again preached, pure and true, in all decency and order. We rejoice that some pious souls receive this Gospel with alacrity and gladness, and are amazed at the mercy and compassion of God, giving thanks unto Him with all their hearts. Again, there are many who exert themselves to the utmost to persecute and overthrow it. … We learn from experience that the devil may lead even the just into sin, and retard the work of God. Hence the Christians do not call him Beelzebub, a bumblebee, but, with St. Paul, a prince and god of this world.
We know well enough how strong he is, and how he holds with a tenacious grasp a person once given to error and heresy, so that it requires repeated instruction and exhortation to rescue such an one from the captivity of the devil. Thus also when he has allured a person into fornication or adultery, into avarice, wrath, hatred, envy and other crimes, I am sure he holds his victims as in a vice. If one cord or chain does not suffice he takes a hundred more, so that there is no possibility of escape by one's own strength.
Hence the Christians will never despise the devil, as the self-righteous saints do who call him a bumblebee, but they know him as “a mighty lord and prince and god of this world,” who can lead people into sin and shame, into despair and anguish, into sorrow and every kind of distress, yea, who would slay us if God permitted it. The pope and his crowd neither understand nor believe this, although they see and experience it repeatedly.
The Pharisees, who blaspheme Christ and His deed so vilely, are seven times more violently and dangerously possessed of the devil than this poor man, since they … not only misapprehend the Word, but also defame and persecute it in the most devilish manner. And yet they are as unconcerned as if their actions were all well and good.
It must so happen, if the devil is to be cast out from among us, and the Gospel is to be preached, that some will “wonder,” while others will regard our doctrine as false and dangerous, and therefore abuse it as a heresy and doctrine of the devil. But this shall not offend us nor stay our work. We will not deny that it is painful when … [Christ's opponents] slander and blaspheme, as if the devil were to be feared no more than a bumblebee. The Lord Himself met with the same reproach when He performed this great miracle and cast out the devil “with the finger of God;” they talked as though it were as easy to cast out devils as it is to drive off a bumblebee which flies about our head; and asserted that Satan himself assisted in the work. This is one class of the unbelieving witnesses of the work of God, who, instead of praising, blaspheme Him.
The third kind of spectators consists of those who make it a condition of their faith to see a sign from heaven. They are not far removed from the others in their wickedness, only they are not so bold in their assertions. They seek a sign while they have one already; they see it too, but they do not regard it as a true heavenly sign, and would have the Lord to show them one in the heavens; perhaps, that He should make for them a new moon, new stars and the like.
Sapient fellows indeed, who desire to instruct the Lord our God as to the signs which He should show! It would tickle them amazingly if the Lord would assume the character of a juggler, and would exhibit to them some extraordinary feats of magic, as if the Lord our God had nothing else to do but to satisfy their curiosity.
Such men are plenty in our day, especially among the great and honored ones of this world. … These men would also prescribe to God the routine of His duties, how His affairs might be managed much more prudently than they now are, and how He ought to send them such preachers as they would like to have. Lay your plans, noble lords—and God will do as He pleases.
Nor is it much better among us, who claim to be adherents of the Gospel, evangelical Christians. In cities and in the country people undertake to dictate to their preachers what they should preach and what would be acceptable to the hearers. And when a preacher, true to his office, rebukes the prevailing vices, plainly and fearlessly, so that every one can understand what and whom he means, though no names are mentioned, they scream with all their might that such preaching is improper and seditious, and ought to be suppressed by the government; that the Gospel ought to be preached without rebuking and publicly disgracing people. As if it were a defamation or abuse of those in authority when they are told the truth! What think you of such pious souls ? Do you not think that they belong to the same family with those who in our Gospel witness the glorious miracle, but do not regard it as such, and ask for another sign which would please their fancy? Such people wish to rule in the land and community where they are, but also in the Church and over the Word of God. Such children will be pleasing to God—very !
But it is nowhere said that, because we should honor the authorities of the State, and raise no injurious reports concerning them, we ought to place such human authority above God and His Word. No, our rulers are also subject to this Word and to God, just as we are, and Him they must obey. If they act otherwise, we are in duty bound to reprove them without reserve, and to tell them what they do not like to hear, without considering whether they will frown at us or whether they will smile. The Gospel spares no one, be he of high or low estate; it rebukes what is wrong in every one.
To do this, God gave pastors and preachers; their duties are grave, and they must fulfill their office, so that they can give an account thereof on the day of judgment. If they do not rebuke you when you ought to be rebuked, God will demand your blood at their hands. Why then should we preachers put a still heavier load upon ourselves on your account, by preaching whatever pleases you ? Remember that the Word is not our own, and that we are not here at your bidding to preach and to do according to your prescription. Faithful preachers dare not and will not shape their preaching to suit the notions of men. The church-doors are open; let him therefore who will not hear the truth go out, for it is not his business to regulate the office of the ministry.
These are the three kinds of persons present at the wonderful deed of Christ. The first are astonished and pleased, and praise it very much; the others are hostile to the Lord and abuse Him ; the third, finally, desire Him to carry out their own whims. The Gospel will always have such different hearers.
The ministers of the Gospel will ever have to contend with such people; they must defend the honor of their Lord by preaching His Word fearlessly; nor will they be prompted either by the favor or by the ill-will of the hearers. If people do not wish to be converted it is not our fault; we have done our duty in presenting to them the truth and in rebuking them for their abuse of the Gospel. If they persist in not accepting our preaching, well and good; let them go to that place where they will comprehend the folly of their ways, and where they will see whom they have despised, abused and blasphemed.
The Lord answers those first, who had accused Him of casting out the devil through Beelzebub, and gives them a simple and easy reply: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand ? Because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.” This is a comparison which our understanding can easily comprehend. Where man and wife quarrel in their home, when he smashes the pots and the kettles, their house-keeping must come to a speedy end. Our experience teaches us that variance and contention lay waste entire countries, and break up whole families. What the Pharisees and Scribes said is therefore against all common sense, and they talk like fools and madmen. …
We should not forget, in this connection, that Christ says that the devil has a kingdom, one that is well united and compact. If we offend one devil we offend the whole batch of them; if we attack one we attack all. If these devils did not work together in such close harmony, we would have gained more of the pope's followers. But since the realm of the devil is strong and united, it comes to pass that many people will not accept or believe the truth.
If we hear the Word, or are baptized, or receive the Sacrament of the Altar, we make an inroad upon the domain of Satan, and the reason that the devil with all his assistants does not prevail against us, is that the kingdom of Christ is also strong and united. As soon as the devil pounces upon you he attacks also Him who sitteth at the right hand of God, as He says to Paul: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” This is our consolation; but at the same time we should realize the fact that to be a Christian means more than child's play, since a mighty power is opposed to us, so that we would be in constant danger if God did not cover us with His grace.
Perhaps you will ask here: How does it happen that the conjurers, who are openly vicious and wicked men, can cast out devils ? Remember this, that God does not work through them, but the devil himself. I myself saw a man full of devils, yet the priest who exorcised him was so certain in his work that he placed his hand in the mad man's mouth. Do we not see then that one devil casteth out another ? I answer: St. Paul says that in the last times the devil will also perform signs, but they will be “lying wonders.” He does not do them to promote the cause of the Gospel, but to lead people away from the faith into idolatry. I know that St. Cyriax, St. Anstet and other saints cast out devils, and that many thus possessed were brought to them, but the whole performance was the devil's own work; he left the sick, not because he was compelled, but of his own accord, that he might thus strengthen the superstition of the people. Likewise he often pretended that he was afraid of a consecrated candle, of a little salt, of holy water and the like. He did this for the sole purpose of strengthening people in their superstition, so that they might not come to the true faith, nor have confidence in God and His Word. These signs were therefore mendacia signa, false and “lying wonders,” as St. Paul calls them; they were mere pretenses.
Let us look to the real and true signs; let us see how Christ and His apostles cast out the devil through the Word, so that he had to leave, whether he chose to do so or not. We will then discover how different the circumstances were. Here the devil had to come out, to testify thereby to the strength and glory of the Word of God and of the Christian faith. He does not do this voluntarily; hence neither the cross, nor holy water, nor other tricks will be of any avail.
Where it is to the advantage of the devil, for the purpose of spreading his lies and estranging an ungrateful world from Christ, by plunging them deeper and deeper into superstition, so that they will call upon the devil rather than upon Christ, he may indeed suffer himself to be cast out by some wicked conjurers. The whole transaction takes place to oppose the Gospel, to spread error and falsehood, … Where this can be gained the devil is very ready to be cast out. But where the finger of God is to be made manifest, and Christ's kingdom to be established, the devil is very tenacious, and refuses to be cast out as long as he possibly can; as Jesus shows us in the parable of the strong man armed, who keepeth his palace.
Let us then thank God for the mercy shown unto us in sending His Son as a Savior from the power of Satan, and also for the Word which He has left us, whereby the devil is to be cast out continually, to the establishment and extension of the kingdom of God. May God continue unto us such mercy, through His Son and the Holy Ghost ! Amen.