Friday 9 October 2026
St Denis & Cc; St John Leonardi
Galatians 3:7-14. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever – Ps 110(111):1-6. Luke 11:15-26.
Satan’s kingdom is being overrun
Jesus is usually remembered as either a gentle moral teacher or the suffering son of God. But in the parable of the strong man, he presents an entirely different image. Here, Jesus frames his ministry almost like the plot of a Schwarzenegger film: a heavily-armed ruler guards his stronghold until someone stronger breaks in, overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off the spoils. For listeners in Roman-occupied Judea, this logic of conquest was familiar. Before an army could claim territory, it first had to overpower its strongest defender.
Jesus casts Satan as the strong man and himself as the stronger one. The Greek verb nikā means ‘to conquer’ or ‘to prevail’. He’s framing his exorcisms as the opening battles in a larger campaign in which Satan’s kingdom is being overrun by a superior force. The stronger man has crossed into enemy territory, disarmed its ruler, and begun reclaiming what has long been held captive.
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