25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. (Matthew 12:25-30 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Our blessed Saviour, to clear his innocence, and to convince the Pharisees of the unreasonableness of this their calumny and false accusations, offers several arguments for their consideration.
1`. That it was very unlikely that Satan should lend him this power to use it against himself. As Satan has a kingdom, so he has wit enough to preserve his kingdom and will do nothing to weaken his own interest. Now if I have received my power from Satan for destroying him and his kingdom, then is Satan divided against himself.
2. Our Saviour tells them, they might with as much reason attribute all miracles to the devil, as those that were wrought by him. There were certain Jews among them who cast out devils in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Christ asks the Pharisees by what power do these Jews cast devils out?
Since they acknowledged that these Jews did it by the power of God, then there was no reason, but their malice, why they should not acknowledge that what Jesus did was by the Spirit of God; then the kingdom of God is come unto you: that is, the Messias is come, because he did these miracles to prove that he was the Messias.
3. Another argument to prove that the miracles which Christ wrought were by the power of God, and not by the help of Satan, is this: The devil is very strong and powerful, and there is no power but God’s only that is stronger than his: Now, says Christ, If I were not assisted by divine power, I could never cast out this strong man, who reigns in the world as in his house: it must be stronger than the strong man that shall bind Satan: and who is he but the God of strength?