Luke 11:14-26
[14] 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. [15] But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” [16] Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. [17] Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. [18] If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. [19] Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. [20] But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. [21] “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. [22] But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder. [23] “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. [24] “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' [25] When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. [26] Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”
It took me years to get even the slightest handle on this. Jesus is responding to the claim that he was working with Satan by asking why, if that was the case, would he be casting out one of Satan’s evil minions (and not the cute, yellow kind!). Instead, he is storming the strong man’s fortress and throwing out his possessions - showing he is so much stronger than Satan could ever be.
I need to say here that the Bible is not suggesting that everyone who is unable to speak has a demon inside of them. Luke (who was a doctor) is not attributing physical illness or disability to Satan - but that this particular man’s issues were rooted in a demon. The thinking, generally, is that Jesus’s presence on this earth upped Satan’s game somewhat, causing some to be possessed by a demon. I know all this sounds like the basis for a horror film, but if you believe in God, and the Son of God, of course you believe in Satan.....
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