If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. – Matthew 12:28
Christ spoke these words to a crowd who had just witnessed the deliverance of a demon-possessed man (Matthew 12:22). The onlookers included a group of Pharisees—the spiritual leaders of the day—who not only did nothing to help the man but actually accused Jesus of being in league with the devil. They simply stood by and criticized the Savior as He powerfully delivered the poor man. How wrong they were, and in verses 25-29, Jesus didn’t hesitate to tell them so.
From God’s viewpoint, this was the end of the discussion, and it should be for us too. God’s kingdom arrived the moment Jesus Christ took his first earthly breath. However, even before this moment, God was at work—protecting and providing for His people. Once His Son came, the stakes in the battle of spiritual warfare were kicked up a notch. Salvation, deliverance from the grasp of the evil one, and the power to overcome sin were all parts of the package that God delivered to us through Jesus Christ.