And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
Jesus, knowing the Pharisees’ thoughts and their accusation, answers with a logical, reasonable argument. He explains that no kingdom, city, or house can survive if there is internal conflict. That is, if Satan is acting against himself by driving out his own demons, then his kingdom will be destroyed. This argument shows the absurdity of the Pharisees’ accusation. Since Satan would naturally not want his kingdom to be brought to an end, it follows that Jesus’ works cannot be by Satan, because those works are aimed at the destruction of demons and evil. With these words Jesus shows that his mission builds the kingdom of God against the kingdom of Satan.