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.
All Commentaries on Matthew 12:29 Go To Matthew 12
John Chrysostom
AD 407
See how the reverse is confirmed contrary to what his adversaries were trying to establish. They wanted to show that it was not by his own power that Jesus cast out demons. But he instead proved that he held in bondage with all authority not only the demonic powers but even their foremost leader. Christ prevails over Satan by his own power, and thus over the demonic forces. This is evident from the events reported. Satan is the prince of demons and they only subjects. If so, how could they have been plundered unless he were first overcome and made to bow down? And here Jesus’ saying seems to me to encompass a prophecy. For not only, I suppose, are the evil spirits the possessions of the devil but also the human beings that are doing Satan’s works. Therefore he intends not only to cast out devils but also to drive away error from the world. He is putting down all sorceries and making the devil’s arts useless. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily
