What is the meaning of Luke 11:18? If Satan is divided against himself Jesus begins by exposing the logical flaw in His critics’ claim. A kingdom cannot survive internal civil war. • Scripture consistently portrays Satan as a real, personal being who marshals fallen angels against God’s people (Revelation 12:9; Ephesians 6:12). • He works with ruthless coherence: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). If he suddenly started sabotaging his own forces—freeing people from demonic bondage—he would be tearing down everything he has built (Mark 3:23–24). • By setting up this obvious absurdity, Jesus shows the crowd that the charge against Him cannot stand on basic common sense. how can his kingdom stand? Jesus presses the point: division spells doom for any realm. • The “kingdom” of Satan is a dark counterfeit to God’s kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). It is temporary, yet frighteningly organized (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). • Even earthly empires collapse when racked by infighting—how much more an evil empire built on deception. • So if the exorcisms people are witnessing truly came from Satan, his entire strategy would implode. The continuing oppression seen throughout the Gospels shows that is not happening (Luke 13:16; Acts 10:38). After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. Here Jesus finally names the accusation. • “Beelzebul” was a derisive title for Satan himself (Matthew 12:24). The religious leaders wanted to discredit Jesus’ miracles without denying the miracles, so they labeled the source demonic (Luke 11:15). • Jesus’ reply unmasks their hard hearts. They prefer an impossible explanation over accepting that God is powerfully at work through His Son (John 3:19–20). • Every deliverance Jesus performs proves His superior authority: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). summary Luke 11:18 dismantles the claim that Jesus casts out demons by satanic power. If Satan were empowering Jesus to oust his own demons, he would be sabotaging his carefully ordered kingdom. The consistent, liberating ministry of Jesus reveals the opposite: God’s kingdom has invaded, the Stronger One is here, and evil cannot stand against Him. |
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