I was reading Matt 12:22-32 this week, where Jesus was delivering people from demons, and the scribes (Mark 3:22) were accusing Him of using the power of Satan to perform these exorcisms. Jesus responded by pointing out that if that was the case, then Satan is divided against himself, and a house divided cannot stand (Matt 12:25-26, Mark 3:23-26, Luk 11:17-18).
But what if Satan does this as a strategy of deception? What if Satan temporarily acts against himself to destroy his target?
Satan can use such a tactic, and Jesus’ response doesn’t seem to address it. Instead, He turns it around on the scribes (and possibly Pharisees), saying that their sons also cast out demons, and asking how they can be sure they do not also do it by the power of Satan (Matt 12:27, Luk 11:19). They themselves believe they cast out demons by the power of God. They will judge their fathers for what they are saying.
Side Note
Notice what Jesus does here. Even after they blaspheme Him directly, He does not immediately condemn them. Rather, He poses questions for deeper introspection. By doing this, He invites them to more closely inspect His ministry and message, leading them closer to Him if they approach it with an open heart. Jesus is the light and truth (Jn 14:6, 1 Jn 1:5), and a relationship with Him reveals the truth through the Spirit (1 Cor 3:16). We can learn from this: pray for strength through the Spirit and courage and composure to keep ministering, even while we are being attacked.
Then Jesus says something that is often misunderstood: “28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.” (Matt 12:28-29).
Many people take this passage to mean that demons must first be bound before they can be cast out, but in context, what Jesus is saying is that He has already bound the strong man. We see in Matt 12:22 Jesus healing the demon-oppressed man. By doing this, Jesus is reclaiming His territory, undoing the works of Satan, plundering his house. Jesus bound Satan before He did this.
Side Note
Scholars suggest that the binding of Satan occurred during the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. After Satan unsuccessfully tempted Jesus, Satan’s power was weakened1.
The more I prayed and worked through this question of whether Satan may make strategic moves, the more I understood what Jesus was saying. The more I understood, the less it mattered whether Satan could play these games, and the more it became about Jesus, who already bound and defeated Satan, effectively rendering his strategies and tactics powerless.
References
1 William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Third Ed., The New Daily Study Bible (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2001), 42.
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