The Devil's Strength
Mark 3:27
No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man…


Christ is showing that He casts out demons by a greater power than Satan's, viz., by the power of His own Godhead. This He illustrates by a comparison taken from one who forcibly enters the house of a strong man, and makes spoil of it by violent seizure of the goods and weapons that he had in his house. Such an one must be stronger than the strong man, else he cannot do it. Even so (says the Saviour) seeing that I have forcibly entered upon Satan's possession, and have bound him and spoiled his goods, i.e., taken from him that power and tyranny which he before exercised over the body of him that was possessed; and seeing I have also cast him out of his own house, i.e., out of the person possessed; hence it may appear that I have done all this by a greater power than the power of Satan is, even by the power of My Godhead. Note that —

1. Christ likens Satan to a strong man well armed, and furnished with weapons to defend himself and his house in which he dwells.

2. He likens Himself to One that is stronger than that strong man.

3. He resembles the person that was possessed with the demon to the house of the strong man in which he holds possession.

4. He resembles the power of Satan to the goods and weapons of the strong man.

5. He compares the casting out of Satan by Himself to the entering into the strong man's house, and binding of him, and spoiling of his house, etc.

(G. Petter.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

WEB: But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house.




Satan Being Likened to the Strong Man
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