“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Luke 11:17)

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

(Luke 11:17)

 

 

 

 

“ Jesus cast out a demon that had left a man unable to speak. When the demon came out, the man began to speak, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and a house divided against itself will fall. If you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. But if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe; but when one stronger comes and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder.” (Luke 11:14–22).

 

 

 

(1)    Today, I will focus on the passage from Luke 11:14–22, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” (v. 17). I would like to receive the lessons the Lord provides as I meditate on this passage alongside Matthew 12:22–29 and Mark 3:22–27:

(a)    First, I would like to share a short reflection titled “Satan’s Kingdom vs. God’s Kingdom,” which I wrote on February 24, 2026, after meditating on today’s passage from Luke 11:14–20:

 

“The kingdom of Satan is divided against itself. Satan’s church (house) fights among itself and splits apart. Therefore, Satan’s kingdom (church, house) cannot stand firm and collapses (perishes).

 

However, God’s kingdom (church, household) loves one another.  Therefore, God’s kingdom (church, household) stands firm and, together, loves their neighbors as themselves, just as Jesus commanded (Lk. 11:14-20; cf. Mt. 16:18, 22:39).”

 

(i)       Jesus speaks of Satan’s kingdom as follows: “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself falls. Since you say, ‘By Beelzebul I cast out demons,’ if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?  If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges” (Lk. 11:17–19).

          

·        Here, regarding the statement, “If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?” (v. 18), Matthew records it as follows: “If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then can his kingdom stand?” (Mt. 12:26).  Mark recorded it this way: “If Satan rises up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but must fall” (Mk. 3:26).

 

-        In Mark 12:26, the phrase “Satan rising up against himself” uses the Greek “ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν” (ep’ heauton), which means “against himself” or “in opposition to himself.”  In other words, it describes a situation where Satan rose up targeting not someone else, but “himself” (Internet).

 

n    Here, there is a Greek word in the original text that is not translated in the Korean Bible; that word is “ἀνέστη” (aneste), which means “to rise up.”  In other words, Jesus’ statement that “Satan has risen up against himself” creates a powerful image of confrontation, implying that “Satan has rebelled against himself” or “Satan has risen up against himself.”  This goes beyond a simple disagreement; it refers to a state of internal conflict where the head of an organization attacks his own subordinates or destroys his own system (Internet).

·        At the time, religious leaders claimed that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan.  Through the expression “against himself” (ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν), Jesus pointed out the contradiction: if their claim were true, it would mean Satan was attacking himself, and no nation could exist that engages in such self-destructive behavior (Internet).

 

-        In summary, “ἐφ” here [a variant of the preposition “ἐπί” (epi), which basically means “on” or “regarding”] is used with the accusative “ἑαυτὸν” (heauton) (meaning: oneself) to indicate a hostile direction], signifying that Satan’s attack is directed not outward but toward “himself.”  This makes it a key term emphasizing that the very premise of Satan destroying himself is logically impossible (Internet).

 

n    In other words, when Jesus cast out the demon that had silenced a man, the demon left and the man began to speak, astonishing the crowd (Lk. 11:14).  Among them, someone claimed, “He (Jesus) casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons” (v. 15), but Jesus’ response was that the very premise of Satan destroying himself is logically impossible.

 

·        As I meditated on this passage, I was reminded once again that while Satan does not destroy himself, he is currently attacking and attempting to destroy our families who believe in Jesus.

 

-           I’d like to share just a couple of excerpts from a devotional I wrote on March 19, 2023, titled “The Cunning Satan Attacking Our Families”:

 

“The family is a spiritual battlefield! Satan is constantly attacking our families. Pastor Warren Wiersbe said the following in his book ‘Strategies for Spiritual Warfare’: ‘Satan attacked that family by driving a wedge between them when Eve needed Adam’s spiritual authority.  Eve acted independently of her husband and, in fact, led him into sin.’ ‘If a Christian marries without regard for God’s will, Satan can operate freely within that home.  If either or both spouses are immature for marriage, Satan will easily find an opening to attack. Furthermore, if a married couple does not obey the Word of God or has not left their parents, thereby giving their parents an opportunity to interfere, it is all too easy for Satan to attack that marriage” (Weirsbe).  What do you think of this statement? I truly cannot help but agree with it. As Pastor Weirsbe said, none of us can deny that Satan attacked the first human couple in Genesis (Genesis 3).    I cannot help but agree with the statement that when Eve, the wife, needed the spiritual authority of her husband, Adam, Satan drove a wedge between them, causing Eve to act independently of her husband (by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and leading him into sin.  However, I believe that Adam, too, was attacked by Satan, failed to exercise his spiritual authority, and succumbed to the temptation led by his wife, Eve. Furthermore, as Pastor Weirsbe said, how many husbands and wives today are unable to leave their parents and remain dependent on them?

 

“…  Yet Satan wants to turn our homes into hell.  Therefore, Satan is causing us to disobey Jesus’ double commandment, which is the commandment of heaven (Eph 2:2; 5:6), and instead is making us hate one another, which is the commandment of hell (Gen 37:5; Deut 22:13; Mt. 24:10; 1 Jn. 2:9).  Furthermore, together with the spirit of falsehood, Satan constantly plants hatred within us (Deut. 21:17; 2 Sam. 13:15; Prov. 10:12) and leads us to do the works of darkness (Isa. 29:15; Ezek. 8:12; Eph. 5:11), causing our families to bear bitter fruit (Rom. 7:5).  Therefore, Satan makes us not want to go to a home that feels like hell; instead, he makes us linger outside the home or, going even further, makes us want to leave home far, far away.  Furthermore, Satan makes us not want to see our family members.  And Satan makes us hate our spouse even more.  Amidst this growing hatred toward our spouse, Satan exploits the cracks in the marital relationship (cf. Neh. 4:3, Hebrew: “crack”; 6:1) to make us take an interest in another woman or man. Through the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh (1 Jn. 2:16), he leads us to covet that other person, ultimately driving us to commit adultery.  Satan’s purpose is to bring down and destroy our families, preventing us from building a heavenly home and instead turning our homes into hellish places. This is spiritual warfare! The home is a spiritual battlefield! What should we do? We must wage spiritual warfare.”

 

-           This is an excerpt from Pastor Warren Wiersbe’s writing that I quoted on January 7, 2016, under the title “Satan Attacks Married Couples”:

 

 

 

“Satan attacked the family by driving a wedge between them at the very moment when Eve needed Adam’s spiritual authority.  Eve acted independently of her husband and, in fact, led him into sin.”

 

-           This is a quote from Pastor Warren Wiersbe that I cited on August 21, 2020, under the title “We Must Not Give Satan an Opening to Attack Our Marriage”:

 

“If a Christian marries without regard for God’s will, Satan can operate freely in that home.  If one or both spouses are immature for marriage, Satan will easily find an opening to attack. Furthermore, if a married couple does not obey the Word of God or has not left their parents, thereby giving their parents an opportunity to interfere, it is all too easy for Satan to attack that marriage.”

 

(i)               Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God as follows: “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe; but when someone stronger attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder” (Lk. 11:20–22).

 

·          Matthew wrote: “But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man?  Then he can plunder his house” (Mt. 12:28–29).  Mark wrote: “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man; then he can plunder his house.”

 

-        Jesus said that He cast out demons by the “hand of God” (Lk. 11:20), that is, by the “Holy Spirit of God” (Mt. 12:28), and declared, “Therefore the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Lk. 11:20; Mt. 12:28).

 

n  “This declaration signifies that Jesus’ ministry of exorcism was not merely a miracle, but an event proclaiming on earth a massive shift in authority that had taken place in heaven.  The specific meaning is as follows.

 

1.      The Dynamics of ‘God’s Hand’ and ‘the Holy Spirit’

 

Old Testament Background (God’s Hand): This is consistent with the confession of the Egyptian magicians during the Exodus, who, upon witnessing God’s plagues, declared, “This is the finger of God” (Exod. 8:19).  In other words, it signifies God’s immediate and direct intervention, which no one can deny.

 

The Presence of the Holy Spirit: The use of the term “Holy Spirit” in Matthew’s Gospel demonstrates that when God’s Spirit comes, the forces of evil depart.  It shows that Jesus does not rely on His own personal power but is empowered by the Holy Spirit to cast out demons.

 

2.      The Kingdom of God That Has “Already Come” (Already)

 

Transfer of Authority: The Jews believed that the Messiah would come and establish the Kingdom of God in the distant future.  However, Jesus taught that the “present phenomenon” of demons being cast out is itself evidence that Satan’s rule has already ended and God’s reign has begun.

 

A Real Victory: The Kingdom of God is not an abstract concept but a tangible power.  If Satan has been driven out of the realms he once dominated (sickness, demon possession, and slavery to sin), then God’s rule has already taken its place.

 

3.      The Conqueror of Spiritual Warfare

 

The act of casting out demons is a clear sign that the “stronger one” (Jesus) has invaded Satan’s house (the world) and bound him.  Therefore, this declaration is also a stern rebuke to the slanderers: “The kingdom of Satan is crumbling and the kingdom of God is expanding right before your eyes—why can’t you see it?”

 

-        Jesus said, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides his plunder” (Lk. 11:21–22).  This parable contains a key spiritual principle describing the binding of Satan and the complete victory of Jesus Christ:

 

1.      Symbolism of the Characters

 

The Strong Man: Represents Satan, who has taken control of his house (the world and human souls).  He is “armed” and guards his possessions thoroughly so as not to lose them.

 

The Stronger Man: Symbolizes Jesus Christ, who breaks Satan’s power and comes in.

 

Possessions/Wealth: This refers to the souls of people who were bound as slaves to Satan, or the image of God that had been stolen from them.

 

2.      Key Interpretation of the Passage

 

“When he is armed and guarding his house”: Before Jesus came, the world was under Satan’s dominion, and humans had no power of their own to break those bonds.  Satan had people trapped and immobilized with the weapons of sin and death.

 

“When a stronger man comes and overpowers him”: Jesus is not merely someone who fights Satan as an equal, but One who subdues Satan with incomparably greater power.  The act of casting out demons is evidence of this very “process of subduing.”

 

“He takes away his armor and divides his plunder”: Jesus neutralizes the weapon Satan relied on (the power of sin) and reclaims the souls that were in Satan’s grasp.  The expression “divides” is a declaration of victory, signifying that Jesus restores the areas of our lives that were taken by Satan, just as a victorious nation takes its spoils of war.

 

3.      Concluding Meaning

 

This parable serves as the conclusion to the earlier “Beelzebub controversy.”  Jesus casts out demons not because He is in league with Satan, but because He is stronger than Satan—He defeats Satan and rescues those held captive by him.

 

Ultimately, this passage is a message of liberation and hope: ‘Jesus is far stronger than the forces of darkness that hold you captive’” (Internet).

 

·          As I meditate on this passage, I would like to share just a portion of a devotional I wrote on July 15, 2022, titled “Lord, Build Our Entire Family and Relatives into a Loving Home.”

 

“Last Sunday, we held a thanksgiving service to God in celebration of the 42nd anniversary of Victory Presbyterian Church, where I serve as senior pastor. Focusing on the promise given by the Lord in Matthew 16:18, I received five prayer topics under the title “Victory Presbyterian Church, Established by the Lord.”  I applied these five prayer topics to my entire family and relatives and proclaimed God’s Word during our online family prayer meeting yesterday, Tuesday: Lord, please establish our entire family and relatives as (1) a family of gratitude, (2) a family of strength, (3) a family of victory, (4) a family that raises up workers, and (5) a family that expands God’s kingdom.  As we truly come to realize that where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds all the more (2 Cor. 12:9), and that where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds all the more (Rom. 5:20), I pray that our entire family and relatives may become people who give thanks to God (Col. 1:6).  May the Lord firmly establish our entire family and relatives upon the Rock, Jesus Christ (Mt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 10:4), and may we be deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, building our lives upon Him, standing firm in the faith as we were taught (Col. 2:7), and by putting God’s Word into practice (obeying it) (Mt. 7:24-25), so that no matter what temptations, deceptions, adversities, or difficulties may come upon our family, we may not be shaken or waver, but may always be zealous for the Lord’s work (1 Cor. 15:58).  May our entire family and relatives have the assurance of the love of the Triune God (Rom. 8:35-39) and possess the assurance of victory (v. 37)—for God is faithful and will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear, but will provide a way of escape so that we may endure it—I pray that our entire family and relatives will live a militant life of faith, believing in the verse from 1 Corinthians 13:10, and emerge victorious in the spiritual battle.  In this time when there is a great spiritual harvest to be reaped for the salvation of souls (“harvest”), yet few laborers are working to save souls (“harvesters”), I pray that the Lord will raise up workers with Christ-centered dreams from among my entire family and relatives (Mt. 9:37-38).  Therefore, I pray that the Lord will send these workers out to various places so that our entire family and relatives may be used to expand the Kingdom of God. I added one more prayer request to these five and applied it to my entire family and relatives: “Lord, please establish our entire family and relatives as a family of love.”

 

·        I am sharing an article I wrote on June 11, 2023, titled “A Family Engaged in Spiritual Warfare”:

 

“Our family must engage in spiritual warfare.

 

First, our family must stand against our enemy, Satan.  We must go out to confront Satan.

 

Satan never likes the news of the blessings that God bestows upon our family.  Therefore, whenever God pours out His grace on our family, Satan attacks our family. For this reason, we must develop the ability to resist Satan’s attacks.  We must nourish ourselves well with the Word of God and put it into practice, thereby building spiritual immunity.  Then, when Satan attacks our family, we will be able to stand against him with the Word of God, just as Jesus did, and overcome.

 

Second, our family must ask God.

 

In engaging in spiritual warfare against Satan, we must develop the habit of asking God not only in times of great crisis but also in small matters.  When we do so, God the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, will give us assurance of victory through the Word of truth. With this assurance of victory, we must enter into spiritual warfare.

 

Third, our families must obey God’s commands.

 

Only God can grant victory in the spiritual warfare of our family.  When God stands against our adversaries and reveals Himself as the true God, He can remove all idols and sins from our family.  What we can do is diligently prepare for spiritual warfare, seek God in prayer, ask Him, and obey His commands in faith. When we do so, God will give us victory. Victory!

 

·        I share a writing I wrote on April 13, 2022, under the title “Lessons About the Family (2)”:

 

1.      The family is a spiritual battlefield.

2.      Satan is constantly attacking our family.

3.      Looking at conflicts in marital relationships, Satan can greatly magnify even the smallest issues between husband and wife and drive them into crisis.

4.      Husbands and wives are inevitably different.  The Lord intends for these differences to complement each other, but Satan causes them to compare with one another—or even compare with other seemingly ideal couples—leading us to dissatisfaction and complaints.

5.      Satan causes spouses to exaggerate each other’s weaknesses while minimizing each other’s strengths, making them seem insignificant.

6.      One of a husband’s duties is to protect his wife (and children) from both sides of the extended family.  In particular, he must guard his family from the idols, unbelief, and unbiblical and worldly influences of both sets of parents.

7.      One of a wife’s duties is to wisely uphold her husband before her parents, while not allowing herself to be manipulated by her parents (especially her mother).

8.      A major duty of parents is to let go of their married children.  Parents who are connected to their children in unhealthy ways (especially psychologically or emotionally) must intentionally sever those ties for the sake of their child’s marriage.

9.      Parents who are unhealthy in various ways can unintentionally damage the heart, mind, and emotions of their beloved children, which not only harms the children’s marriages but can also negatively affect their grandchildren.

10.   With faith in the Lord who has overcome Satan, we must faithfully carry out family ministry under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and with assurance of victory, live a fighting, persevering family life—continually battling against Satan who attacks our family.

 

(Thinking of the brothers and sisters I have already met who are engaged in spiritual warfare through online ministry to Korea in 2022.)

 

·        I share a writing I wrote on March 7, 2020, under the title, “They say there is no family without problems. What should we do, and how should we do it?”:

 

“They say there is no family without problems. In other words, every family has worries, struggles, and painful situations.  Put differently, every one of our families has earnest prayer requests before God.  If there are none right now, there likely will be in the future. 

 

So, what should we do, and how should we do it? I would like to share my personal thoughts:

 

We must believe that God loves our family.

 

We must be convinced that our family is within God’s sovereign will.  And we must believe that His sovereign will is good, pleasing, and perfect (Rom. 12:2).

We must believe that even the problems, difficulties, painful situations, and crises of our family will be worked together by God for good (Rom. 8:28).  Therefore, we should pray in faith, expect, and wait, remembering that such crises are good opportunities to experience God’s saving love and His presence (Ps. 63:3).

 

As we remember the grace and love that God has shown our family from the past until now, and as we experience that grace and love, we should commit ourselves to obeying God’s commands (His Word) with thanksgiving (Deut. 11:1–7).

 

Our family must engage in spiritual warfare through the Word and prayer, believing that our Lord Jesus Christ has already won the victory, and together pursue a militant life of faith with the assurance of victory (1 Cor. 10:13).”

 

·        I also share a column I wrote on June 6, 2025, under the title, “Let Us Fight the Good Fight!”:

 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).  As soldiers of Christ’s cross, we are engaged in an intense spiritual battle.  Right now, Satan is not only attacking individual Christians, but also fiercely attacking our families and the Lord’s church.  At this very moment, the devil is concentrating his attacks on our minds with cunning and terrifying power, trying to oppress us with a spirit of fear.  How many husbands and wives are unable to leave their parents, allowing their parents to interfere in their marriage, and thus are being attacked by Satan? Looking at marital conflict, Satan can greatly magnify even the smallest issues between husband and wife and drive them into crisis.  Satan targets the broken gaps left within the church and attacks our community through those openings.  The purpose of these attacks is to stop the work by which the Lord builds up His church firmly.  Therefore, as soldiers of Jesus Christ’s cross, we must engage in intense spiritual warfare.  In doing so, two things are important:  First, this spiritual battle is not our battle, but God’s battle (2 Chron. 20:15).  Second, this spiritual battle has already been won by Jesus Christ on the cross for us: ‘I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world’ (Jn. 16:33).”

·        I would like to share the conclusion I wrote for my manuscript titled “Let the Fire of Revival Blaze in Our Home!” on January 23, 2025:

 

“…  I earnestly pray that the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit will blow into our home and cause the flames of revival to blaze brightly.  Just as the prophet Habakkuk cried out, “O Lord, revive Your work in these years,” we too earnestly pray to the Lord, “Lord, send the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit into our home and revive us.”   We earnestly pray that our Heavenly Father, God, will look upon the desolation of our home with compassion, forgive our sins, and restore our family.   Now, as all of us in the family become one in the Lord and rebuild the crumbling foundation of our home, we pray that the powerful fire of the Holy Spirit will come and consume all our idols.  Lord, let the fire of revival blaze in our homes.  May the Word of Truth renew our homes.  May the river of God’s grace flow abundantly into each of our homes.  May the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit blow upon us now and grant us a new day filled with the Lord’s glory. O Lord, may the Kingdom of God come upon our homes.  We pray that the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit will blow into each of our homes, bringing about a true revival of the Word, and that all family members will submit to the authority of God’s Word.  May we all love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves.  May You establish our families as households that obey these two heavenly commandments, so that we may become families that offer praise and worship to God the Father with grateful hearts.  We offer this prayer earnestly in the precious name of Jesus. Amen!”