A Nation That Cannot Stand ^(A)

²² Teachers of the Law came down from Jerusalem. They said, “Jesus has Satan in Him. This Man puts out demons by the king of demons.” ²³ Jesus called them to Him and spoke to them in picture-stories. He said, “How can the devil put out the devil? ²⁴ A nation cannot last if it is divided against itself. ²⁵ A family cannot last if it is divided against itself. ²⁶ If the devil fights against himself and is divided, he cannot last. He will come to an end. ²⁷ No man can go into a strong man’s house and take away his things, unless he ties up the strong man first. Only then can he take things from his house. ²⁸ For sure, I tell you, all sins will be forgiven people, and bad things they speak against God. ²⁹ But if anyone speaks bad things against the Holy Spirit, he will never be forgiven. He is guilty of a sin that lasts forever.” ³⁰ Jesus told them this because they said, “He has a demon.”

A Nation That Cannot Stand ^(A)

¹⁴ Jesus was putting a demon out of a man who could not speak. When the demon was gone, the man could speak. All the people were surprised and wondered about it. ¹⁵ Some of them said, “He puts out demons through Satan, the king of demons.” ¹⁶ Others tried to trap Jesus. They asked for something special to see from heaven. ¹⁷ But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided into groups that fight each other will be destroyed. Every family divided into groups that fight each other will not stand. ¹⁸ If Satan is divided against himself, how will his nation stand? And yet you say I put out demons through Satan! ¹⁹ If I put out demons through Satan, by whose help do your sons put them out? Your own sons will say if you are guilty or not. ²⁰ But if I put out demons by the power of God, then the holy nation of God has come to you.

²¹ “When a strong man watches his house and is ready to fight, his things are safe. ²² When a stronger man comes along, he wins the fight. He takes away all the things to fight with that the man of the house had put his trust in. Then the stronger man takes anything he wants from the house. ²³ Whoever is not with Me is against Me. Whoever does not gather with Me is sending them everywhere.