Text: Mark 3:27
“No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man.”
Introduction: Season of Pentecost
Here we are gathered in the liturgical season of Pentecost—a time when the Church remembers the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the unleashing of the apostles to bear witness to the Prince of Peace, Justice and Truth in the world. It is the season that celebrates the mightly acts of the apostles and the bold activism of those who follow their witness.
Pentecost 2025 is a good season for Christian activism. A good season for holy boldndess. A good season to tell the truth. And a good season to remember what happens when the Spirit of God fills people with courage in a time of crisis.
A Prophetic Parable
The short parable about the strong man Jesus told in the Gospel of Mark is a little unsettling:
“No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man.”
Traditionally, this has been interpreted spiritually. The strongman is the devil, and Jesus is the one who binds him. While that is true, it’s not the only layer of truth. As scholars like Walter Wink and Ched Myers have shown, the “strongman” can also represent the "powers and principalities" of this world—spiritual evil clothed in political power.
Coded in a parable, Jesus was confronting the power of the empire—the Roman Empire—and the religious system that had made peace with it. He came to set captives free, but first, He had to bind the strongman in his house.
Three Signs of the Times
I want to name three converging trends in the present moment that call for binding the strongman.
- The growing resurgence of Christian nationalism. We are seeing a new form of militant Christianity fused with authoritarian politics, where political leaders are being cast not just as presidents, but as messianic figures—anointed by God, above the law, and surrounded by religious theater.
- The manipulation of religion to legitimize power. We are witnessing the same pattern seen in church history—when emperors converted for convenience, and when the church exchanged its prophetic voice for political favor. This is not new—but it is dangerous.
- The growing threat of state-sponsored oppression. Most recently, the administration has prepared mass immigration raids—intimidating municipalities, separating families, and framing immigrants as “invaders” and protestors as insurrectionists. These are not isolated events but elements of a broader authoritarian agenda—and the church must not be silent.
History’s Warning: From Tolerance to Theocracy
I recently returned from an academic tour of historical church sites in Turkey, where the early ecumenical councils met in the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries. We studied how Christianity was first persecuted, then tolerated, then legalized, then preferred—and finally made the official and required religion of the empire. The church first accepted the protection of the state, then courted its favor, and ultimately surrendered its independent authority to the rule of the Holy Roman Empire.
We are witnessing a similar slide today.
We are watching as religious leaders kneel in allegiance to political power, as scripture is used to justify domination, and as spiritual language is weaponized to impose control.
Binding the Strongman Today
“No one can plunder the strongman’s house unless he first binds the strongman.”
Today, the strongman wears a suit, holds a Bible, and sit in the highest office of the land. But the fruit of his rule is fear, division, corruption, and cruelty. He has plundered the house—our democracy, our decency, our shared moral vision.
We must bind the strongman:
- Legally—through the courts, through the Constitution, through accountability.
- Politically—through protest, grassroots organizing, and the defense of democratic institutions.
- Spiritually—through truth-telling, courage, repentance, and prophetic witness.
Call to Activism:
The early church did not wait for permission to speak truth. On Pentecost, the Spirit came—and the Church was empowered.
We need a new Pentecost today:
- Not one that is silent or safe.
- But one that is bold and public.
- A church that says no to fascism, no to fear, no to the worship of power.
If we wait until theocracy is official, it will be too late.
The Spirit is moving. The fire is falling. And the house is shaking.
Let us not be found among the fearful—but among the faithful.
Let us not bless the strongman—but spiritually bind him.
It's time to plunder the house—spiritually and politically-- to set the captives free.
