The Devil’s House

The antidote to Satan’s domination and nefarious influence is Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Receiving the saving sacraments, meditating on Scripture, prayer, living a life of virtue, and otherwise living the Catholic life—these are the only solutions.

By Deacon Frederick Bartels

I want to talk to you about a section in Luke’s gospel titled “Jesus and Be-elzebul,” found in chapter 11 beginning at verse 14. Here we read about how Jesus casts out a demon from a mute man.

There are some folks there who witness this exorcism and accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Be-elzebul. The people making this accusation are the Pharisees, as the Gospel of Matthew tells us in a parallel passage found in chapter 12.

So, the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Be-elzebul, the Prince of demons. Just who is this figure? Be-elzebul was a derogatory term used for Satan or the Devil, the one Jesus calls the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning.

Every Kingdom Divided Against Itself

Luke tells us Jesus knows their thoughts and he says to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and house falls upon house. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Be-el?zebul. And if I cast out demons by Be-el?zebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil” (Luke 11:17-23).

The point Jesus is making here is that he cannot be collaborating with Satan. If he were collaborating with Satan, he would certainly not be casting out demons because doing so would work against Satan, it would create division in the household of the devil. In other words, casting out demons is in opposition to the work of Satan. Jesus insists he is casting out demons by God’s power. And of course he can do that because he is God in the flesh. Jesus is the stronger one, who forces Satan and other demons to obey his divine authority.

Next, Jesus says something important for all of us …

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26).

At first glance, these words seem rather perplexing and mysterious. What is Jesus getting at here? It seems to me that he’s making a couple of points.

First, he’s telling the Pharisees that although they may be able to drive out demons—something which they can do only because God cooperates with them—they leave people in a worse state. Why is this the case? Because they reject Jesus, his divine power, and his message. You see, they create a void in people which allows demons to return and wreak havoc in their lives.

The sacrifice of Christ on the cross defeated sin, evil, and the power of the devil. If we do not avail ourselves of the power of his sacrifice, we are ultimately left defenseless. We place ourselves in position of becoming victims to the powers of sin, evil, and the devil.

Second, although we may be liberated from demons perhaps through deliverance prayers, if we are not filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit and living a Christian life in Christ, we’re not fortified against Satan and his attacks. It’s likely he’ll return again with greater force, and we will thus be in a worse state than we were at first.

The Importance of Living the Christian Life

On more than one occasion, I’ve been asked to bless people’s homes because they have in some way suffered demonic attacks. I recall one instance in particular when I was called to a house and as soon as I walked in the door I noticed all kinds of what might be described as demonic paraphernalia. There were dark posters pinned on the walls, crystals, and a statue of Buddha on a shelf. I couldn’t find anything Christian in the home at all. I asked them if they were practicing Catholics. When they looked at me blankly, I asked them if they we’re Christians, and if they were living the Christian life. Did they pray to Christ? Did they go to church? It immediately became apparent to me that they did not live the Christian life. They did not have a relationship with Jesus. They thought I would show up, say some prayers, bless their home, and magically all their troubles would vanish.

Given the circumstances, I explained to them that it would do no good for me to bless their home. Unless they were living the Christian life, unless they were praying to Jesus, and striving to unite themselves to Christ, they would continue to suffer from demonic attacks. In other words blessing a home is not something magical.

The Antidote and Fortification

Our best fortification against demonic attacks is found in living the Christian life. In fact it’s found in living the Catholic life, which is the Christian life in its fullness. It’s found in attending the holy sacrifice of the Mass every Sunday and holy day of obligation. It’s found in receiving the holy Eucharist, which is the flesh and blood of Christ himself. The point is Christ is our strength. It’s by his power that the demonic is defeated. Jesus is the Savior and Liberator. If we have no interest in Jesus and in walking in fellowship with him, we cannot expect to be able to drive the demonic out of our lives.

The antidote to Satan’s domination and nefarious influence is Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Receiving the saving sacraments, meditating on Scripture, prayer, living a life of virtue, and otherwise living the Catholic life—these are the only solutions.

Now, you might be listening to all this and say to yourself, “I know people who aren’t religious. They don’t pray or even believe in Jesus, and they’re not having issues with the devil.” Yes, that is often the case. But why is it the case? The reason for this is that Satan and demons often leave these people alone because they already belong to him. In other words, in the spiritual world, there are only two possibilities: Christ and the way of life, or Satan and the way of death. There’s no middle ground to stand on. Satan doesn’t bother with people who are already living by the standards of his household.

On the other hand, demons do sometimes mess with people who are unconcerned with Christ or religion. Why do they to this? It seems they enjoy it. Satan and the other fallen angels are corrupt and evil. They take pleasure in messing with people’s lives and causing havoc.

I should note here an important point: God allows this because demonic attacks often drive people to seek help from him. That’s how God uses these kinds of situations to bring about good in people’s lives. The fact is, God is always working to draw us to himself. When demons get involved, God’s will remains the same, which is our salvation. He uses the situation to move us to turn to him. He is the solution. And he wants us to recognize that fact, turn to him, and rely on his help. He will never withhold his help from anyone who sincerely seeks it.