Luke 11:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;

NIV: "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.

NASB: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are secure.

CSB: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure.

NLT: For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe —

KJV: When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

NKJV: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.

Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem have accused Jesus of working under the power of Satan. Specifically, they have decided that Satan moved Jesus to cast out a demon. Jesus is explaining this doesn't make any sense: why would Satan work against his own cause? And how can they make this claim if they believe their own people are casting out demons through the power of God? If Jesus defeats Satan's work, then the Jewish teachers should know He does so under God's power and God's kingdom has arrived (Luke 11:14–20).

Here, Jesus starts a short parable. The strong man, fully armed, is Satan. He is "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), the dominant influence over human culture. Up to this point, God has given him significant leeway in leading individuals and nations to do evil. Thanks to his influence over humans and his many demons, his power, authority, and kingdom have been relatively secure.

With the arrival of Jesus, the stronger one, the weaknesses in Satan's kingdom begin to show. Jesus' power during His ministry reveals His authority over demons. His coming resurrection will be Satan's defeat. The Pharisees and scribes need to figure out what side of the battle they're on (Luke 11:22–23). Jesus has proven His authority over demons. His destruction of Satan's entire kingdom is coming.

"Palace" in the Greek can mean castle, fortress, or court. It refers to a living place that is well defended.

Luke 11:21–23 contains Jesus' parable of the strong man to show that just as Jesus can cast out one demon, He can destroy Satan's kingdom. The Jewish religious leaders accused Jesus of casting out a demon under the authority of Satan. Jesus counters that not only does He control demons, He also can and will destroy Satan (Luke 11:15–20). In the next section, Jesus explains that if people do not choose Him, they by default choose Satan (Luke 11:24–26). This parable is also in Matthew 12:29–30 and Mark 3:27, right before their accounts of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which Luke skips.

Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray and explains God's intent to give "good" to those who ask. He then exorcizes a demon and refutes the claim that His power is satanic. Jesus explains that unreasonable skeptics will only see the "sign of Jonah." He then criticizes the superficial legalism of the Pharisees. In response, they plot against Him.

In what some scholars refer to as "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27), Jesus prepares His disciples for His crucifixion and resurrection and the establishment of the church. The description begins with Christ teaching the disciples how to spread the news of the kingdom of God and reaffirming how they will be blessed, culminating in the Lord's Prayer (Luke 9:51—11:13). Luke 11 finishes with accounts of leaders who reject Jesus. The remainder of the travelogue gives a pattern of teaching on the kingdom of God, miracles, and explanations of salvation. Then Jesus enters Jerusalem to face the cross.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.