The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Luke 10:17 (NAS)

This scene reminds me of a victorious locker room where the players are high-fiving and exuberant after a big win. In walks the coach who stands in the middle of the team to share his postgame speech amid boisterous yelling in the background. Typically, he’ll deliver a big dose of reality…

And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” Luke 10:18–20

Here Jesus recalls witnessing the fall of Satan from heaven by the exertion of same power available to break the bonds of sin. In doing so his follower’s names were etched into the book of life. It was their position rather than their production that mattered most.

21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Luke 10:21–22

His public rejoicing in the Spirit was remotely similar to my past experiences when the most spiritually sensitive in a group (sadly not me) says let’s pray and thank the Lord for this! But here it’s the Son himself rejoicing in the work of his Father on behalf of his children as they spread the good news.

23 Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.” Luke 10:23–24

Then privately he shares with his disciples how privileged they are to be witnessing all this. The prophets of old would have given their eye teeth for the chance.

Takeaways: 1. Never stop rejoicing in the Lord’s work in your life. 2. The Holy Spirit is available to all whose name is written in the Book of Life. 3. There’s “power in the blood.” 4. Satan’s power over believers has been vanquished.