23 So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house."
This passage is a tremendous demonstration of a wise response under pressure. When the good works that Jesus was doing by the power of the Holy Spirit were labeled by the religious leaders of the day as works that were empowered by Satan, Jesus chooses not to respond to them directly and enter into an argument. Instead He answers generally before the entire audience of those who were witnessing the events in such a way that they could interpret His words for themselves and make a clear and sound judgment. He left no open door for His words to be twisted because of how He chose to communicate. Jesus’ response to the leaders was in the form of a question that revealed the underlying principles that He was demonstrating, in a way that all could grasp for their obviousness and through this the attack of the religious leaders is clearly exposed for what it is, a jealous attempt to discredit the ministry of Christ.
Through the response of Jesus He identifies the true nature of the work that He is doing. He identifies that the miracles of healing and the deliverance from demons that He is bringing forth are in fact a reflection of two kingdoms that are in conflict with one another. Jesus chooses terminology that reflects a strong man who is being bound so that what he has in his possession can be taken from him. What a powerful picture of the work of Christ! The object in the possession of the strongman is the souls of men! Jesus contrasts His work of healing and deliverance as the work of plundering Satan’s house!
In Luke 13:16 in a response to accusations against His work of healing on a Sabbath Jesus reflects on this same principle in regard to the transformation of this woman that He has healed. He boldly identifies the nature of what has taken place in even more direct terms than in the gospel of Mark as He says “should not this woman , a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" Her sickness has been the work of Satan. She has been bound for 18 years. So instead Christ comes and binds the one who has been binding her! She is now set free to worship the Lord.
The primary principle Jesus emphasizes in his response to the religious leaders in Mark 3 is clearly seen in verse 24 where Jesus says “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” With these words Jesus identifies clearly that Satan will never perform a miracle that sets someone free from Satan. Therefore if a spiritual work is taking place that sets men’s free from Satan’s power and awakens a deeper love for and loyalty to Jesus Christ, this work can never be from Satan! This truth puts to rest many wrong arguments over what is of God and what is not.
Oh that the church of our day would walk in both this wisdom and this power. Let a church arise in the earth that can expose false religious thinking for the deception that it is and that can demonstrate a Spirit empowered life that consistently sets people free from the things that bind them. Let us reach into the heart of the Lord for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that can silence accusers and the Spirit of power and might that can set the prisoners free!
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