Chapter 39, Footnote 3:
The Strongman:
Here is the being that causes the possessed or oppressed to be unable to rid himself of the demons. Jesus spoke about this spirit and is recorded in three of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Jesus had just cast out a demonic spirit that was causing a man to be unable to speak. Jesus cast out the spirit and then was quickly accused by the religious leaders of the day of being in league with the devil in order to have such power over demons. Jesus made it clear that the only way that the house (the inside of a man) could be cleared out of demonic influence is to first get rid of the strongman (who could also be the lone demon causing the problem). This demon sets up shop and “protects” his host from any other intruders, except those allowed in by the host and the strongman. Jesus went on to say, “But when one stronger than he attacks him [the strongman] and overcomes him, he [Jesus or the one using the authority of Jesus] takes away the armor that he [the strongman] trusted and divides the spoils.8
Once the strongman is eliminated, the remaining “spoils” can be divided. To me this means that the other demons within the host can be cast out after the armor/strength of the strongman is eliminated. That person can now have the peace that he or she has been seeking. But there is a warning that Jesus gave. He said that if the house is left unoccupied after the strongman is cast out, that demon will come back to check on his old “home.” Understand that demons are under strict command by other demons of higher rank. Losing a host to the Enemy [Jesus Christ] is not tolerated. The strongman will come back to see if that individual made a decision to accept Christ or not. If the Holy Spirit now dwells within the individual, the strongman cannot re-enter. However, if the strongman comes back and sees that the individual did not invite Jesus to reside where the strongman once did, that demon will re-enter and will set up shop again, and will invite even stronger beings than himself to reside within the host, as well. This creates an ever worse situation than before the strongman was originally cast out.
When doing deliverance, the team must first be assured of the individual’s desire for Christ prior to the act of deliverance. Otherwise it is actually more compassionate to leave the person in his current state. It’s best to lead the individual to salvation first, then do deliverance, but in some cases in which the demons within the individual hold great sway, at least get some sort of acknowledgment from the host that he (or she) wants to have Christ. Otherwise the entire event could be, at best, pointless; at worst, far more dangerous.