Luke 11:14–28: Hear and Obey

August 17, 2026

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

If you had to summarize the believer's response to God's Word in two words, what would they be? It all comes down to practical application—so simple, yet so eternally profound. Today's passage ends with the answer to our question, but first we need to set the context. 

One day, Jesus cast out a demon that had made a man mute. There were three responses to the healing. One group marveled at Jesus' authority over demons (Luke 11:14). They had never seen anything like it. A second group, made up of religious leaders, accused Jesus of casting out demons "by Beelzebul, the prince of demons…" (Luke 11:15). 

The name Beelzebub was the original name used to describe Satan as the prince of demons. But over the years, the name had been changed to Beelzebul, a derogatory pun meaning "Prince of Dung" or "Prince of Flies." A third group simply kept testing Jesus with their desire to see yet another "sign from heaven" (Luke 11:16). The Jews' demands for more signs became a definite stumbling block for them (1 Cor. 1:22–24). 

But Jesus knew the thoughts and motives of the three groups and addressed the second group directly by showing how absurd their accusation was. 

Luke 11:18-20
And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will 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.

It is ridiculous to think that Satan would fight against himself. His goal is to expand his kingdom, not divide it. Furthermore, the religious leaders also cast out demons, which raised a question. If Jesus cast out demons by Satan's power, were the religious leaders using Satan's power as well? No one had ever made that accusation. But if Jesus was casting out demons by the "finger of God," then the kingdom of God was present in the person of Jesus. 

Jesus was preparing to usher in a new day. He did not discount the power of Satan, but he clearly makes the point that Satan is no match for him. Here is how Jesus says it: "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters" (Luke 11:21–23). 

This truth reminds me of what the apostle John says in 1 John 4:4, "for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Satan is the prince of the broken world. He can wreak havoc, but God is sovereign and in control. Jesus came to fix what was broken and, as we will learn in Acts, sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. Believers have everything they need to defeat Satan every time. 

Jesus follows this with an interesting statement that has caused much confusion among commentators. He said,

Luke 11:24–26
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.

I believe Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders, who also cast out demons. Though they truly exercise authority over evil spirits, they leave the Jewish people empty of truth and allow the demons to return with even greater strength than before. Evil can develop and grow if it is not dealt with by faith in Jesus. Only through faith in Jesus is evil decisively defeated. One more thing happens in this passage that brings us back to our first question: If you could summarize the believer's response to God's Word in two words, what would those words be? 

As Jesus was speaking, "a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!' But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!'" (Luke 11:27–28). 

Jesus kept things simple and straightforward. Here is how he described the believer's response to God's Word: hear and obey. We must engage with Scripture to understand its meaning, and when we hear God's Word, we must do what it says; that is where obedience comes in. 

Jesus' brother James later said it like this:

James 1:22–25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 

Read and reflect on Luke 11:14–28: In what specific area of your life is God calling you not just to hear his Word but to obey it?

Talking to God: Ask God to show you where you simply need to accept and obey the truth. 

Have Questions? 
Please send your questions to our team. We're happy to assist as we explore God's Word together. Submit your question below, and we'll respond soon. If you're interested in learning more about a relationship with Jesus or seeking spiritual guidance, let us help you take the next step.

THE LIVING GROUNDED YOUTUBE CHANNEL
I invite you to visit the Living Grounded YouTube channel, where we share conversations to help you stay rooted and encouraged in your faith. Check out all of our podcasts on: [Living Grounded YouTube Channel].  

Be sure to subscribe—the more subscribers we have, the broader our reach.