But the Pharisees were saying, “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”
In this passage the Pharisees, who often criticized Jesus, accuse Him, saying that He drives out demons by means of the ruler of demons. The Pharisees do not accept Jesus’ divine power and try to give His miracles an explanation that would call into question His origin and authority. This accusation expresses the Pharisees’ unbelief that Jesus acts by the power of God. Instead, they try to cast a shadow over Jesus’ influence on the people by linking the miracles to the influence of demonic powers.