<p>11:18 <i>And if Satan- </i>Mark adds that the Lord spoke all this &quot;in parables&quot; (Mk. 3:23). 'Satan' was a parable and is being used here in a non-literal sense. The Lord reasons with them on their own ground, assuming for a moment that their wrong ideas were true- hence &quot;<i>if</i>&nbsp;Satan...&quot;. The one who cast out Satan / demons was of course Jesus personally. Their false logic and theology had led them to label a good man as Satan just because He did a good work of healing. So quickly, false logic and theology drives jealous people along a path of demonization, negative labelling of others and religious hatred.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><i>Also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub</i>- Ez. 17:14 uses this language about how Old Testament kingdom of Judah no longer 'stood' because of their disobedience. The true Kingdom of God would 'stand' for ever (Dan. 2:44). The Lord may be hinting that Israel was no longer God's Kingdom and was in fact therefore Satan's kingdom- for the true Kingdom of God would always stand. It is Satan's Kingdom which falls, not God's.</p><p>Bible readers are familiar with the personification of sin as a man called 'Satan', the enemy. This symbolic man is in fact the antithesis of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we follow this theme through Scripture, it becomes apparent that we are just at the tip of an iceberg. This symbolic man has a kingdom&nbsp;and almost every attribute of the Lord Jesus and <i>His</i> Divine Kingdom of righteousness. Consider the similarities: <br />Satan has a Kingdom (Lk. 11:18) <br />The power and glory of which have been <i>delivered</i> to him by God, and which he can give to&nbsp;whomsoever he will (Lk. 4:6) <br />Angels (Mt. 25:41; 2 Cor. 12:7 Gk.) <br />The power of death (Heb. 2:14 cp. Hos. 13:14; Rev. 1:18; 20:6) <br />Power to condemn men (1 Tim. 3:6) <br />A judgment seat and system of rewards based on that of Christ (Mt. 6:1 cp. 2,16) <br />Condemned sinners are invited to the 'feast' of God's judgments and given suitable wedding clothes (Zeph. 1:7,8) in parody of the Kingdom (Mt. 22:2,3) <br />Is a father (Jn. 8:44) <br />Has children (Acts 13:10; 1 Jn. 3:10 cp. Heb. 2:13) <br />And a wisdom that is opposed to God's wisdom (James 3:15-17) <br />Armour (Lk. 11:22) <br />Power (Acts 26:18) <br />Spiritual &quot;depths&quot; (Rev. 2:24, s.w. Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 2:10; Eph. 3:18) <br />Seed which he sows (Mt. 13:39) <br />A throne (Rev. 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:4) <br />A mystery (2 Thess. 2:7; Rev. 2:24) <br />&quot;Power... signs and... wonders&quot; (2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:13) <br />Stands at the right hand of men (Ps. 109:6 cp. 109:31; 16:8; 110:1) <br />Is likened to lightening (Lk. 10:18 cp. 17:24) <br />Puts things in men's' hearts (Jn. 13:2 cp. 2 Cor. 8:16) <br />He is a son who will be &quot;revealed&quot; (2 Thess. 2:4), as Christ will be (Lk. 17:30, same Gk.) <br />He is &quot;he that comes&quot; (2 Cor. 11:4), a phrase so often used about the Lord Jesus (Lk. 7:19,20; Jn. 7:27,31) <br />He will be &quot;revealed <i>in his time</i>&quot; (2 Thess. 2:6), as Christ will be (Lk. 17:24) <br />&quot;The god of this world&quot; who emits a bright light into the hearts of men (2 Cor. 4:4 cp. 6) <br />Enthroned in God's temple (2 Thess. 2:4) <br />He has &quot;works&quot; (1 Jn. 3:8) <br />Figuratively comes down from heaven to earth in the last days (Rev. 12:12) <br />Has bread and wine of wickedness (Prov. 4:17) <br />His followers &quot;hold&quot; Christ, as the true disciples do (same words in Col. 2:9; Mt. 28:19 cp. Mt. 26:4,48,50,55,57) <br />Will be 'apocalypsed' as Christ will be (2 Thess. 2:8).</p>