In Matthew 12:22-30 we have an account of Jesus healing a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute. After He does this, the Pharisees catch wind of it, and naturally, in Pharisaical fashion, they need to figure out a way to discredit what Jesus is doing because they are filled with envious rage. So they claim that He casts out demons by Beelsebul, the prince of demons. Now, this seems like a foolish argument, and Jesus proves it to be so. He says, “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand” (Matthew 12:26)?
Simply put, if Jesus is casting out demons by the chief demon himself, it would be self-defeating to the expansion of his own kingdom and rule over people. But He then tells them, it is not by Beelsebul that this is happening, but by the Spirit of God. He says, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). The kingdom of God did indeed come upon them, and us. It has entered in and has been unfolding ever since our Lord began His ministry. Now here is the interesting part; after this, he tells them what is actually happening. Jesus has bound up Satan and is plundering his goods. “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” (Matthew 12:29). That which has been under Satan’s control (the souls of men) is being taken back by the King of kings. Jesus is indeed the plunderer of goods.
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