JESUS WAS DRIVING out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
17Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. 19Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.
23“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.”
Original Meaning
LUKE 11:14–54 SHOWS the widening rift between Jesus and the Jewish religious leadership, who for Luke represents a major factor, along with the political leadership, on where the nation stands on Jesus (13:31–35; 19:41–44). Thinking his miraculous power comes from Satan, they debate the source with Jesus (11:14–23). But Jesus claims to be stronger than Satan, defeating him in these hand-to-hand battles. He goes on to warn the people not to miss the moment of blessing and end up in a state worse than before, since blessing comes from obeying God’s Word (11:24–29). The only sign given to this generation is the message of Jesus, which is like the wisdom of Solomon and the call of Jonah to repent (11:30–32). Our Lord wants the people to pay attention to what spiritual advice they take in, since it determines the character of their heart (11:33–36).
This unit ends with Jesus’ strongest rebuke of the Pharisees and scribes in this Gospel, which show just how off-course the Jewish leadership is. Their path is destructive. The way of piety, which they perceive to abide with them, is found nowhere near them. They are leading others to death (11:37–54). These six woes are an indirect call to repent. Instead, the Jewish religious leadership resolves to deal severely with Jesus. They cannot allow him to go unchecked, and they begin to plan what they might do. Jesus draws ever nearer to his destiny in Jerusalem.
To understand the significance of Jesus’ miraculous work, especially his exorcisms, one must understand 11:14–23. The miracle, told in a single verse (v. 14), reflects one of the most significant kinds of activity in Jesus’ ministry.1 Its importance emerges when one compares it to how the Evangelists present other miracles. Most of them are told with vividness and detail, while reactions to them are only briefly summarized. Here the situation is the opposite, in that the reaction and commentary dominate the account. In other words, this account summarizes the public debate over Jesus’ miraculous work and carries an explanatory significance for all his miracles. They depict the comprehensive power he has over the forces of evil. As a result, his power over creation is secure.2
The issue here is Jesus’ authority. When he exorcises a demon that is the source of a man’s being mute, the discussion begins about the unusual character of Jesus’ ministry. Two approaches emerge. (1) Some assign his work to Beelzebub. This name, probably originally referring to a pagan god, was applied to Satan, designating him as “Lord of the Flies.”3 This derisive name indicated a lack of respect for this powerful figure. To some, therefore, Jesus’ power is demonic. (2) Others prefer to sit on the fence and wait for something more from Jesus. The request for a sign from heaven is vague, given the many acts Jesus has already done. Apparently some type of visible sign involving activity in the heavens is in view.
This questioning prevents making a commitment to Jesus, while admitting that there is something happening that requires reflection. Perhaps their testing of Jesus (v. 16) falls in line with what the Old Testament instructed God’s people to do with prophets (Deut. 13:1–5). Given all that he has already done, which should be sufficient to identify him, Jesus responds only to the claim that he is connected to Satan. As for signs, Jesus will shortly make it clear that only the sign of his preaching is his message (12:29–32).
Jesus knows the speculation about him and addresses it. He rejects the connection to Satan on a simple premise. If Satan’s goal is to destroy and Jesus is reversing the effects of destruction by healing, then how can one tie Jesus’ work to the archdemon? That would mean a house divided and a kingdom ready to fall. Satan’s kingdom cannot stand if Jesus is driving out the demons by this power.4
Jesus adds one more point to his assessment, that he does not act alone. Others are also driving out demons. The meaning of this point is disputed. Is Jesus pointing to all Jewish exorcists here, asking how they manage to do their work?5 This meaning seems unlikely. Would Jesus really hold out the possibility that Jewish exorcists will help in the final judgment (as the end of v. 19 says)? Jesus could hardly be acknowledging that God works through Jewish exorcists in a community needing reform. More likely, the allusion in hoi huioi humon (lit., “your sons”) is to Jesus’ disciples, who are also Jewish but who do their work through Jesus’ commission.6 His point is that there is more than one figure in the movement that shows this authority. Divine endorsement extends to those he has commissioned. They will serve as the judges of the Jewish leadership one day, if the latter do not change their mind about who Jesus is.
If the satanic connection is out, then what remains? Jesus next issues one of the most crucial statements of his ministry: “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” Jesus outlines two possibilities for explaining what is taking place. Either he works by satanic power or through divine connections. There is no third option, no neutral ground. His use of the phrase “the finger of God”—which occurs in the biblical account of the Exodus (Ex. 8:19), another great moment of divine activity—shows that God is directly involved in history through Jesus with the powerful touch of his grace.
The point about God’s kingdom coming is also significant. What is at stake in Jesus’ ministry is a cosmic battle displaying the right to rule. Like a great war, the combatants are facing off with everything at stake. The promise of the kingdom is one of the great promises of the Old Testament. God’s promised agent will rule as the vicegerent of God, restoring the presence of righteousness on the earth. Jesus’ exorcisms signal its arrival. Some argue that arrival is not in view here, but merely the approach of the kingdom. But this ignores the force of the following parable, which pictures Satan’s house as overrun and defeated, with the spoils of the victory being shared with those on the winner’s side.7 The language of arrival is also indicated by the phrase translated “has come to you,” which looks to arrival, not approach.8
Jesus claims that his miracles are audiovisuals of the presence of God’s victorious rule. They indicate that the great promised vicegerent has come. He is not saying that everything promised in association with that kingdom has come, only that the kingdom itself has arrived. Read in line with other New Testament texts, the passage argues that the process of establishing its presence has begun.9 Jesus’ work is a divine painting etched by the finger of God and pointing to the one through whom the forces in heaven manifest themselves on earth. He is exhibiting his authority over Satan, establishing the earth as a place where righteousness can and does triumph over destruction. Redemption comes through him. All that remains is for people to choose for him.
Jesus then summarizes his main point with a parable. A strong man occupies a house and guards his possessions. They are safe until someone stronger attacks him, overrunning his home.10 When the stronger one comes, the armor of the original man is stripped away and the spoils are divided among the victors. Jesus claims his miracle portrays such a victory. He has superior strength over Satan. That also implies that Jesus does not work with Satan, but against him. The forces that plague human beings are overcome in Jesus. That is why to oppose Jesus is to be against him and be the source of scattering (v. 23). Jesus stresses by this closing remark just how crucial the decision about him is. There are only two sides, and the choice of allies in this cosmic battle is crucial.
Bridging Contexts
WITH MIRACLES AS a window to God’s support and presence, Jesus explains what his ministry is all about. This passage is like pulling back the curtains on the divine perspective of Jesus’ ministry. As such, the Christology it teaches is timeless, for Jesus’ battle with Satan is the greatest spiritual battle of all time. Jesus establishes his position as the stronger man who overcomes the power of the evil one. His ministry was the key turning point in this battle. Though skirmishes are still being fought and the complete victory still awaits us, the victory described here is part of a fundamental perspective Jesus wants both his disciples and opponents to appreciate. The theme of his victory as pictured in his miracles speaks to every age about his matchless authority.
Jesus’ work is different from Satan’s labors. Whereas the devil destroys, the deliverer rescues. Whereas Satan debilitates life, Jesus enhances it. Whereas Satan cripples, Jesus liberates. Jesus shows how his work exalts life. That activity defines his service, picturing how disciples should walk in a way that seeks to encourage others to experience life in its fullness.
The decision Jesus calls for in this text is another feature that is true for every generation. His life and ministry were so unusual that one must assess its roots. The distance between the present and the past has allowed some to claim that Jesus did not really perform these wonders or give this type of evidence of his unique relationship to God. They attempt to relegate Jesus to the level of other greats of religion. But the opponents living in Jesus’ time did not have the luxury of such a claim. They could not deny he had performed deeds of unusual power. The Jewish records we possess that allude to Jesus report the unusual nature of his deeds and try to explain them, not deny them. The corridors of time may dim the reality of his majestic works to an extent that some do deny he did them, but that is not a rational option. If it were, his opponents would have taken that road long ago. Those who opposed Jesus took the only logical option left to them in light of the evidence of his supernatural power: They claimed it was rooted in a diabolical force. Jesus knew the argument and dealt with it here.
Contemporary Significance
AN UNDERSTANDING OF the miracle in this section as a window into the supernatural battle between Jesus and Satan has much to say both about making a decision as to who Jesus is and about the evidentiary function of miracles. Jesus’ explanation helps us appreciate the supportive role of miracles and explains why he did not focus his ministry too greatly on them. They are but a portrait of more fundamental realities, namely, God’s good will to restore creation and triumph over evil.
This text also has significant applications on the nature of the kingdom of God and the meaning of Jesus’ victory as pictured here. Christ’s rule is designed to establish the presence of righteousness on the earth through the formation of a people who reflect his character before others (Matt. 5:14–16; Titus 2:11–14). Though his kingdom will be powerfully visible one day when he returns, Jesus has gathered around himself a community of redeemed people who demonstrate the transformation and real life his victory paved the way for. That transformation is why Paul defines the gospel as the “power of God” in Romans 1:16–17. He then goes on in that great letter to describe how humanity has been delivered from the depths of sin and bondage (so also 2 Cor. 3–4, which speaks of the new covenant of the Spirit). This new community is to be a people who evidence reconciliation, the union of Jew and Gentile into a new body (Eph. 2:11–22), absent of the malice that comes from the presence of sin and from following the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” (2:2). Christ calls the church to show that it can be otherwise. Early glimpses of what this new type of community is like appear in Acts as believers shared with each other, even to the extent of raising money to meet needs across racial and geographical lines.
This discussion may seem rather abstract, but it is not. Paul’s letters demonstrate that God’s presence can reverse the presence of satanic forces pictured in this Lucan passage. In fact, the apostle built a theology of community around this truth. Placed in the kingdom of his beloved Son and rescued from the forces of darkness (Col. 1:12–14), we have been given all the spiritual equipment we need to become the people he calls us to be. No authority is greater than Christ’s, to whom we have access (Eph. 1:15–23). The power he gives (the spoils he distributes!) includes the enablement to live as reconciled people in a community that evidences love and reconciliation in the context of renewed relationship.
The victory Jesus describes in Luke 11 clears the road of any claim that obstacles exist that cannot be overcome in the church community. If failure occurs, it is not because enablement has not been provided, but because we fail to make use of the victory Jesus provides. This does not mean we are perfect in this life, for glorification awaits us in the kingdom’s future. But it does suggest a rich array of resources exist to help us overcome the forces that otherwise overpower us. It also suggests that failure to grow spiritually is our fault, since God has provided a rich reservoir of enablement through his Spirit.
In other words, this passage becomes the basis of Jesus’ “Declaration of Dependence.” Unlike some nations and people who pride themselves on being totally free and independent, Jesus’ community sees its identity in having been rescued by him and thus permanently aligned to him. This declaration brings with it great privileges, for now the potential exists to live righteously as we walk with and respond to God’s Spirit. In dependence on him, we can be the new community he calls us to be. The kingdom of God is not an abstraction; it is a community where God’s presence and rule so dominate our existence that we honor him in all we do and where righteousness manifests itself in the face of a hostile world (Gal. 2:20; 5:22–26; 6:14–16). To belong to the kingdom and draw on its resources is to stand firm before Satan (Eph. 6:10–18). But this kingdom does not come and go, though our tendency to draw from it can waver if we fail to draw on its resources. To share in his kingdom is to share in the benefits that give us new life, not just in heaven but now.
Such theological background means that the fundamental application of this text is to reaffirm and pursue our identity with the stronger one who overran Satan. To decide that Jesus has been sent from God is to decide that “in him is life.” If his coming means the finger of God has come with evidence of his guiding rule, then our call is to follow where he points.