In this passage we see a man who cannot speak (and we are told in a parallel passage in Matthew is also blind) healed and freed from demons.
The immediate reaction to this from the Pharisees is that Jesus must have been casting out the demons by the power of Satan. This just shows the darkness of men's hearts -- they see a wonderful miracle performed, and the first inclination is to say Christ is evil.
Jesus's response is that this is impossible; that a kingdom divided cannot stand. Note that this is as true of Christ's kingdom as it is of the kingdom of Satan. We do not want to be those who are dividing the house of God; we want to live in love, charity, and unity with all our brothers and sisters.
Jesus then gives a discussion in verses 21 through 26, of the kingdom of Satan. He displays the devil as a powerful ruler, an armed man guarding a palace. The house represents people; those who are in the devil's kingdom are bound -- bound by sin and by Satan himself.
Evil everywhere around us; we cannot escape from dealing with the evil one. In 2 Cor 11:3, we see that Satan is deceitful and crafty. He does not appear to be the monster that he is.
The devil is fierce and cruel, and wishes to see men slay one another; he wishes to see men thrown into hell.
The devil has no power before Christ, the "one stronger than the strong man". Christ is a wonderful and merciful master. He displayed His kindness when He saved us through His grace while we were yet sinners. Christ takes the devils' spoils (people under his domain, sinners as you and I were), and "distributes them" -- setting people free and then setting them to work in their positions in the Kingdom of God.
We see a comparison of two kingdoms -- you are either with or against Christ; there can be to neutral position. You are a servant of the devil if you do not know Christ! You can be in one of two positions: safe and secure in Christ, or under the bondage of sin and the devil.
Verses 24-26 describe a person who had a moral cleansing, but did not close with Christ. Ultimately, this person fails to like an upright life and falls back into the bondage of sin.
So in this passage, we see the reality of Satan, that he will attempt to reclaim a loss. To be free of his power, see verses 28 and 29. In these verses, Jesus responds to a woman who gave a blessing upon Him and His mother. Jesus replied that the utmost blessing occurs when we hear the Word of God and keep it.
We must press on, studying the Word and seeking to keep it. In is we will see that the devil cannot harm us; we have been set free from his power. Knowing this, we can live in joy and hope!
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