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.
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Cyril of Alexandria
AD 444
He calls the devil strong, not as though he were so by his created nature but as signifying his tyranny over us, which he has obtained through our own indolence. The Son says, in effect, “I will despoil him, not by allowing him to have human beings as worshipers but by changing their belief so that they might come to acknowledge God. In that case, how then could he become my ally? For is he fighting against himself.”
How can any one enter; how can I drive Satan from his possession? i.e. cast him out from the bodies of men, unless I am stronger than he, and first unarm him. (Maldonatus)
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 tobe careless; for here the conqueror Himself pronounces our adversary to be strong.
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
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 show that He did not cast out demons of His own power; He proves that not only daemons, yea but the prince, also of the daemons He hath bound, as is shown by that which He hath wrought. For if their Prince were not overcome, how were the daemons who are His subjects thusspoiled.This speech seems also to me to be aprophecy; inasmuch as He not only casts out daemons, but will take away all error out of th...
For that Satan cannot possibly cast out Satan is evident from what has been said; but that neither in any other way is it possible to cast him out, except one first get the better of him, this too is acknowledged by all.
What then is established hereby? The former statement, with more abundant evidence. Why, I am so far, says He, from using the devil as an ally, that I make war upon him, and bind him; and an infallible proof thereof is the plundering of his goods. See how the contrary is proved, of what they were attempting to establish. For whereas they wished to show, that not by His own power does He cast out devils, He shows that not only the devils, but even their very chief leader is held by Him bound with all authority; and that over him, before them, did He prevail by His own power. And this is evident from the things that are done. For if he be the prince, and they subjects, how, except he were worsted, and made to bow down, could they have been spoiled?
And here His say...
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. Orin that He has divided the whole world among His Apostles and their successors to be converted. By this plain parable therefore He shows that He does not joinin a deceitful working with the daemons as they falsely accused Him, but by the might of His divinity He frees men from the daemons.
I do not, He says, keep demons as friends; just the opposite, I war against them and bind them who were strong men before My coming. For when Christ entered the house, that is, the world, Be seized from the demons their goods, which are men.
