The world, or, to reduce the subject to what is equally true, and perhaps more practical, every one's own heart, is we have the authority of Christ to say it "a house" or a palace, which Satan, as a strong man, holds and keeps. So long as the strong man holds his palace on an undisputed tenure, it is all quiet; his goods are in peace. But when Christ, who is represented as the stronger One, comes, there is warfare warfare to the death; and thus warfare in the breast is the first, and for a long while the only, token for good. There are three stages, then. We will take them in their order.
I. First, "the strong man armed keepeth his palace." The strong one none know how strong, but those who try to escape and break off his tyranny so strong, that his strength is unseen, while in stillness and in silence he holds his own; so strong that the greatest determination of the most strong-minded man, unaided, trying to break any one of those many bonds, would be as if he were to try to uproot a mountain.
II. But the stronger comes, and now the fighting begins. Unknown to you, the stronger is binding the strong one. Heavy blasts blew, bitter winds came, and severe discipline and desolating bereavements fell upon you; but they were never meant to hurt you; they were to kill the strong one, the power of evil that is in you.
III. Now mark the spoil. He will bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house. The habit of sin broken, the power of sin reduced, the love of sin destroyed the soul is emancipated; and now Christ is free to claim His own property, which His own blood has purchased, and His own right hand has rescued. Has He not a right? Are not all the spoils His? So once, two thousand years ago, when He had gained the victory over the whole world by His death, and when He had led captivity captive "up to the highest heaven," He took His seat before the throne, and distributed to men, from His royal greatness, the good things which, by that death, He had redeemed from Satan's grasp. Then, the outpourings of the day of Pentecost then the largesses of pardon, life, grace, joy, wisdom, service, love, heaven, which from His throne He is always pouring upon men. He had bound the strong man on Calvary. He had restored the property to the lawful owner, and then He ascended into the heaven of heavens, and "divided the spoils."
J. Vaughan, Sermons,1867, p. 45.
Human life as affected by two different forces.
I. The strong enemy.
II. The strong friend. Man must be under one or other of these forces, the enemy or the friend. Those who continue under the devil will share the ruin to which he is doomed. When Satan's head is bruised, all who are in Satan's empire will be crushed.
Parker, City Temple,1871, p. 71.
References: Mark 3:27. J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons,6th series, p. 292.Mark 3:28-30. S. Cox, Expositor,2nd series, vol. iii., p. 321; Preacher's Monthly,vol. iii., p. 110; Homiletic Quarterly,vol. iii., p. 207. Mark 3:30. H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxii., p. 68.