Matthew 12:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Having concluded the second answer, He brings forward yet a third, saying, Or how can any enter into a strong man’s house? For that Satan cannot cast out Satan is clear from what has been said; and that no other can cast him out, till he have first overcome him, is plain to all. Thus the same as before is established yet more abundantly; for He says, So far am I from having the Devil for my ally, that I rather am at war with him, and bind him; and in that I cast out after this sort, I therein spoil his goods. Thus He proves the very contrary of that they strove to establish. They would shew that He did not cast out dæmons of His own power; He proves that not only dæmons, yea but the prince also of the dæmons He hath bound, as is shewn by that which He hath wrought.

He states that he will distance himself from associating with demons to the extent of resisting and restraining them, which were powerful prior to my arrival. By entering the dwelling, that is, the world, Christ has taken away the possessions of demons, referring to the individuals.

Christ refers to the devil as strong, not due to his essence, but to demonstrate the oppressive power he wields, which he has gained through our negligence. I will take from him what he wrongly possesses, ensuring he does not claim men as his followers, but rather guides them toward the knowledge of God. How can he stand as My supporter against his own interests?

For he held us, that we should not by our own strength be able to free ourselves from him, but by the grace of God. By his goods, he means all the unbelievers. He has bound the strong man, in that He has taken away from him all power of hindering the faithful from following Christ, and gaining the kingdom of heaven.

His house is this world, which is set in evil, not by the majesty of the Creator, but by the greatness of the sinner. The strong man is bound and chained in tartarus, bruised by the Lord’s foot. Yet ought we not therefore to be careless; for here the conqueror Himself pronounces our adversary to be strong.

He proceeds with the discourse on influence. He refers to the ruler of demons as powerful, not due to any inherent superiority, but because he has been an unchallenged despot, preying on those weakened by his neglect. His agents are demons who serve him, acting as his tools; hence the term vessels can be understood as instruments. This is why Luke referred to them as all his weapons (Luke 11:22), which he utilized to enslave unfortunate individuals. Through this illustration, Christ indicates that not only does He not ally with the ruler of demons, but He has also subdued his authority as his fiercest adversary.

Therefore He has spoiled his house, in that them whom He foresaw should be His own, He set free from the snares of the Devil, and has joined to the Church. Or in that He has divided the whole world among His Apostles and their successors to be converted. By this plain parable therefore He shews that He does not join in a deceitful working with the dæmons as they falsely accused Him, but by the might of His divinity He frees men from the dæmons.

Or how can anyone invade the strong man's dwelling and seize his possessions unless he first restrains the strong man? THEN HE WILL PLUNDER HIS HOUSE. Not only do I reject having the adversary as my ally, but I actively combat him and bind him. Do you see how many souls I am freeing from the grasp of Satan? This could not happen without first restraining Satan himself. The Lord referred to Satan as strong, not due to his true nature, but because of his power in deceiving and ensnaring the unsuspecting.

The miracle of healing the blind man possessed by demons had a profound impact on the onlookers, leading many to question, "Could the one who healed him be the Messiah?" This positive sentiment could hardly be welcomed by Jesus' adversaries, the scribes and Pharisees, yet it was evident to all that the healing was an act of divine intervention. In response, they sought to distort the nature of this miracle, claiming that it was performed through the influence of Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.

Following the second rebuttal, He offers a third argument, asking, How can anyone enter the dwelling of a strong man and seize his possessions unless he first binds the strong man? It is evident from the previous discussion that Satan cannot expel Satan, and there is a consensus that casting out Satan requires defeating him first. So, what do Christ's statements signify? They serve to elaborate on what He has previously articulated. The Pharisees aimed to demonstrate that He did not expel demons through His own authority; however, He illustrates that He triumphed not just over demons, but over their leader by His own strength. If Satan is the ruler and the demons are his followers, how can the latter be taken captive if their master remains undefeated? Christ refers to Satan as strong, not because of his inherent nature, but to highlight the considerable power he once wielded over us due to our negligence.

How can anyone suggest such a thing? This serves as a third counterargument, which conveys the idea that not only do I refuse to align myself with the adversary, but I actively confront and restrain him. The evidence of this is my triumph over his dominion. The "house of the strong" refers to the realm of Satan, whom the Lord labels as strong not because of inherent power, but to highlight the significant authority he once had over humanity due to our negligence. The term "his belongings" denotes the tools that the master of this house employs for his sinister purposes. In the context of Satan's kingdom, these are the demons he manipulates for his various malevolent designs against humanity, as well as those individuals who carry out his wishes (see John 8:44).

The concluding phrase of this verse, "and then shall he plunder his house," could be more accurately interpreted as "and then, that is, upon binding, he will surely plunder his house." The Greek conjunction καὶ doesn't always signify "and" in a straightforward manner; it can also mean "and indeed." In Greek, there are three forms of the future tense: first, the future indicative, second, the subjunctive, and third, the optative. The first indicates a future event that the speaker believes is certain to occur; the second conveys a future event that the speaker thinks is likely based on present evidence; and the third pertains to a future event that the speaker regards as merely hoped for or wished, lacking clear present evidence. Thus, it is appropriate to modify the first form with "indeed," the second with "probably" or "it is probable," and the third with "desirable" or "it is desirable," when the context demands such adjustments.

The arrival of God's kingdom became achievable once the authority of the devil was vanquished. Within this defeat of the enemy's hold on humanity lies a profound counterargument against the accusations of the Pharisees. As the esteemed Theophylact elucidates, the Lord is so distanced from any alliance with demons that He actively opposes and restrains them, previously formidable before His advent. This sentiment is articulated by Jesus Christ in these words: “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe; but when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.”