Luke 11:21

11:14-26 Christ's thus casting out the devils, was really the destroying of their power. The heart of every unconverted sinner is the devil's palace, where he dwells, and where he rules. There is a kind of peace in the heart of an unconverted soul, while the devil, as a strong man armed, keeps it. The sinner is secure, has no doubt concerning the goodness of his state, nor any dread of the judgment to come. But observe the wonderful change made in conversion. The conversion of a soul to God, is Christ's victory over the devil and his power in that soul, restoring the soul to its liberty, and recovering his own interest in it and power over it. All the endowments of mind of body are now employed for Christ. Here is the condition of a hypocrite. The house is swept from common sins, by a forced confession, as Pharaoh's; by a feigned contrition, as Ahab's; or by a partial reformation, as Herod's. The house is swept, but it is not washed; the heart is not made holy. Sweeping takes off only the loose dirt, while the sin that besets the sinner, the beloved sin, is untouched. The house is garnished with common gifts and graces. It is not furnished with any true grace; it is all paint and varnish, not real nor lasting. It was never given up to Christ, nor dwelt in by the Spirit. Let us take heed of resting in that which a man may have, and yet come short of heaven.

A strong man (ὁ ἰσχυρὸς) It has the article: the strong man. So Rev. See on Matthew 12:29. Armed (καθωπλισμένος) Fully armed: down (κατά) from head to heel. His palace (ἑαυτοῦ αὐλήν) Lit., his own. Ἀυλή is strictly the open court in front of a house: later, the court round which the house is built, and so applied to the house generally, as our door or roof. Rev., court; for there, in the open space, commanding the doors, he would mount guard.

Luke 11:21 . ὅταν : introducing the parable of the strong man subdued by a stronger, symbolising the true state of the case as between Beelzebub and Jesus, probably more original in Lk. than in Mt. ( Matthew 12:29 ).— καθωπλισμένος , fully armed, here only, in N.T.— αὐλήν , court , whose entrance is guarded, according to some; house, castle, or palace according to others ( οἰκίαν in Mt.).

Luke 11:21 . Ὁ ἰσχυρὸς , a strong man) intrinsically strong. This is the Subject.— καθωπλισμένος , armed ) extrinsically: Armed, i.e. whilst he is armed, so long as no one strips him of his armour. This is to be joined to the Predicate.— τὴν ἑαυτοῦ , his own ) See 2 Peter 2:19 [“servants of corruption,” who constitute Satan’s own palace ].— τὰ ἱπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ , his goods, his resources ) which are kept safe in his palace.

(21-23) When a strong man armed keepeth his palace. —See Notes on Matthew 12:29-30 . The only noticeable variations are the use of “palace” for “house;” of the strong man being “armed;” of the “armour” or “panoply” (the same word as in Ephesians 6:13 ) in which he trusted; of the “division of the spoils.” It is throughout a fuller and more vivid report, but apparently of the same sayings.

Verses 21, 22. - When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils . The exegesis is easy here. The strong man is the devil; his palace is the world; his goods especially here the poor possessed; the stronger than he is Jesus himself, who, as he paints this feature in the picture, is thinking of the scenes of the temptation, when in good earnest he overcame his ghostly adversary, then he took from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and now he, the Conqueror, divideth his spoils , among which are these unhappy possessed ones now being rescued from the power of their tormentor. Luke 11:21

21, 22. strong man—meaning Satan. armed—pointing to all the subtle and varied methods by which he wields his dark power over men. keepeth—"guardeth." his palace—man whether viewed more largely or in individual souls—how significant of what men are to Satan! in peace—undisturbed, secure in his possession.