Often in a television or radio broadcast you will here a preacher talk about binding the devil.  You may have heard a preacher pray something like that in a church service.  He will point to a verse like Matt. 16:19 as his authority for claiming to be able to bind the devil.  That verse says, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

When he combines Matt. 16:19 with Mark 3:27, he ends up with “proof” that a man can bind the devil right now by simply praying that he will be bound. Mark 3:27 says, “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.” This is a classic example of cross-referencing scripture with scripture to teach a false doctrine.  Matt. 16:19 clearly gives authority to the church to bind and loose certain things, which we will discuss in the next question of the week.  But Mark 3:27 is not one of them.

Mark 3:22-30 is simply Jesus’ explanation of his power to cast out devils and his eventual binding of the Devil when he takes away the Devil’s kingdoms at the Second Advent.  It has nothing to do with a preacher binding the Devil or any of his myriad “spirits” of addiction, fear, anger or whatever the preachers are “binding” these days.

Look at the correct, scriptural application of Mark 3:27:

“No man can enter into a strong man’s house”

That’s Jesus entering into the Devil’s world.  As 2 Cor. 4:4 shows us, Satan is the “god of this world.”  He is the strong man with power to steal, kill and destroy (Jn. 10:10) and he has the ultimate power of death (Heb. 2:14). The kingdoms of the world and their power and glory are the Devil’s (Lk. 4:5-6).

“And spoil his goods”

That’s the people in the world who are the devil’s children.  According to 1 Jn. 3:10, whoever is not a child of God is a child of the devil.  In this age, only those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior are children of God (Jn. 12:12-13).  Everyone else is a child of the devil (Eph. 2:1-3, 12; Jn 8:44; Acts 13:10).

While Jesus was here during his earthly ministry, he was freeing people from the Devil, by casting him out of them (Lk. 13:11-16; Mk. 5:1-15; Jn. 8:32-36).  At his resurrection, he freed all of the Old Testament saints who were held captive in Abraham’s bosom (Lk. 16:19-26; Eph. 4:8-10).

“Except he will first bind the strong man”

In Jesus’ earthly ministry, he didn’t bind the Devil, “the strong man.”  Don’t ever forget that.  He simply loosed some of his prisoners.  However, at the Second Coming of Christ, the angel with the chain in Rev. 20:1-2 will literally “bind” the Devil in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.  This is the literal, scriptural interpretation of binding the Devil.

“And then he will spoil his house”

At the Second Advent of Jesus, “the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever,” (Rev. 11:15).  In the wilderness temptation, during Jesus’ 40 day fast, the Devil offered Jesus the kingdoms if Jesus would bow down and worship him.  Jesus refused, knowing that he would one day gain the kingdoms when he spoils the Devil’s house.

So, don’t get caught up in the false doctrine of binding the Devil or his “spirits.”  In other questions of the week, you will find the scriptures that show you what to do about the attacks from the devil, how to protect yourself, how to fight, how to prevent leaving yourself open for attacks, and so forth.  This idea of binding the Devil is unscriptural; stay away from it!!

Hope this helps,

Pastor Welder