Daily Bible Reading 7th September 2026 // Luke 11:14-26
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marvelled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”, 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
Our Lord's answer to the criticism of His enemies was a threefold one, and is worthy of careful study. First of all, He exposed the unreason of their unbelief. If He were casting out devils by Satan, it would mean civil war in the kingdom of evil - which is an irrational and improbable fantasy - and even to state it thus must surely have exposed the impossibility of their claim. In contrast, we next have our Lord's own views about His work, in 20, and 21, 22. This world is the 'strong man's house', the kingdom of Satan, and Satan is the 'strong man armed'. Jesus is the 'stronger than he', who enters that house and kingdom, in His Incarnation, and who by His spotless life, His resistance of temptation in the wilderness, and above all in the death of the Cross binds the strong man, overcoming him, stripping him of his armour, and dividing his spoils. This is the gospel - the breaking into the prison-house. The word of Christ is a liberating word. It is as a great Liberator that He stood among men, and every miracle He performed was evidence of His power to set men free. And it was in face of this that these men were committing final blasphemy. The finger of God was at work, and they had no eyes to see it. The captives of the mighty were being delivered, and they thought He had a devil! This is the tragedy. It was so then, and it is so now. Men so often will not see that it is God that is at work!