A House Divided Cannot Stand

A familiar proverb echoes through both Scripture and culture: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Many people know that phrase without realizing that it comes from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself, and that it arises in the midst of a fierce spiritual controversy. The Synoptic Gospels present three closely related accounts of this statement in Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, and Luke 11:17. In each case, Jesus responds to the accusation that He is casting out demons by the power of Satan. Precisely there, in the arena of spiritual warfare and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the Lord teaches that any divided realm will collapse.

In this post, we will move carefully through the contexts of these three Gospel passages, attend to key words in the original Greek text, and explore how this teaching reveals the logic of the Kingdom of God, exposes the folly of hardened unbelief, and summons the people of God to deep, Spirit-wrought unity. Along the way, we will consider how this principle applies to our inner life, our households, our congregations, and our witness in a fractured world.

The Setting of the Saying in the Synoptic Gospels

All three Evangelists place this statement within the same basic controversy: religious leaders are seeking to explain away Jesus’ undeniable power over demons.

Matthew 12:25 and the accusation of Beelzebul

In the Gospel according to Matthew, the scene follows immediately upon a dramatic exorcism. Jesus has healed a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute (Matthew 12:22). The crowds are amazed and wonder, “Can this be the Son of David?” (Matthew 12:23, ESV). The Pharisees, however, respond not with awed faith but with an alternative explanation:

“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
(Matthew 12:24, ESV)

Jesus, Matthew tells us, “knew their thoughts” (Matthew 12:25, ESV), and then offers a clear, logical argument:

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?”
(Matthew 12:25–26, ESV)

He then presses the inconsistency of their accusation by asking,

“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?”
(Matthew 12:27, ESV)

Finally, He reveals the true explanation:

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
(Matthew 12:28, ESV)

The context continues into the solemn warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31–32), locating the “house divided” saying within a sober discussion of spiritual discernment. Calling the work of the Spirit the work of Satan is to invert moral and spiritual reality in a way that leads toward unforgivable hardness.

Mark 3:25 and the strong man

The Gospel according to Mark parallels this scene. Some scribes who come down from Jerusalem declare,

“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”
(Mark 3:22, ESV)

Jesus responds with parables and asks,

“How can Satan cast out Satan?”
(Mark 3:23, ESV)

Then He gives the central line:

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.”
(Mark 3:24–26, ESV)

Mark then includes the vivid illustration of the “strong man”:

“But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.”
(Mark 3:27, ESV)

Jesus is not collaborating with the strong man. He is invading the strong man’s house, binding him, and liberating his captives.

Luke 11:17 and the finger of God

The Gospel according to Luke presents a similar scene after Jesus casts out a demon that had made a man mute (Luke 11:14). Some marvel, but others say,

“He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”
(Luke 11:15, ESV)

Luke notes,

“But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.
And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.’”
(Luke 11:17–18, ESV)

Luke then records a striking phrase:

“But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
(Luke 11:20, ESV)

The “finger of God” echoes Exodus 8:19, where the Egyptian magicians confess that the plague is the work of the God of Israel. The exorcisms of Jesus are signs that the true King has arrived, overpowering the demonic realm.

In all three accounts, therefore, Jesus’ statement about a house divided arises from the same undercurrent: the struggle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, and the human temptation to explain away the work of God rather than submit to it.

Key Greek Phrases: Exegetical Insights

The power of Jesus’ argument becomes even clearer when we attend to the original Greek words used in these passages.

“Every kingdom divided against itself”

In Matthew 12:25 and Luke 11:17, the opening clause reads:

πᾶσα βασιλεία μερισθεῖσα καθ’ ἑαυτῆς ἐρημοῦται

Transliterated, this is: pasa basileia meristheisa kath heautēs eremoutai.

Basileia: “Kingdom”

The word βασιλεία (basileia) denotes more than a territory. It refers to a reign or rule. It has the sense of a realm under a king’s authority, but also the active exercise of kingship. Jesus is therefore saying that any realm of rule, any sovereign order, that is divided against itself is headed toward ruin. He is speaking at the highest level of authority structures.

Meristheisa: “Divided”

The participle μερισθεῖσα (meristheisa) comes from the verb μερίζω (merizō), meaning “to divide,” “to apportion,” or “to separate into parts.” In the New Testament, this verb can be used neutrally, as in the dividing of land or inheritance, but also negatively, as in creating factions. The form here is aorist passive participle, suggesting a completed action of having been divided. The kingdom stands in a state of internal fragmentation. The point is not a temporary disagreement, but a fundamental rending into parts that work at cross purposes.

Kath heautēs: “Against itself”

The phrase καθ’ ἑαυτῆς (kath heautēs) is a prepositional phrase with the reflexive pronoun. It means “against itself.” The division is internal, not external. Jesus is not describing attack from outside, but a self-willed, self-destructive conflict within the realm. Satan’s realm may face assault from the Kingdom of God, but it is not strategically self-imploding. The Pharisees’ accusation implies just such irrational self-destruction.

“Is laid waste” or “is brought to desolation”

The verb ἐρημοῦται (eremoutai) comes from ἐρημόω (erēmoō), “to make desolate,” “to lay waste,” “to bring to ruin.” The term often evokes images of a city or land turned into a wilderness. In the Septuagint, it frequently appears in prophetic oracles of judgment, where God promises to lay nations waste because of their sin. Jesus therefore describes the result of internal division in vivid judgment language. A kingdom that devours itself becomes like a desert - emptied of life, structure, and fruitfulness.

When Jesus uses this verb, He is not speaking about a mild weakening, but a process leading to devastation. To be internally divided is to move toward spiritual desolation.

“City or house”

Matthew adds a second and third image:

“Every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
(Matthew 12:25, ESV)

The term πόλις (polis, “city”) evokes the civic community, a broader social structure. The term οἰκία (oikia, “house”) can mean a physical house but often signifies a household - a family, a clan, or an extended domestic community. Jesus therefore moves from the macro level of kingdoms, to the civic level of cities, to the intimate level of households. The principle holds at every scale.

The “house” in view is not merely a building of stone and wood. It is a relational and spiritual structure held together by shared loyalties. A house divided in deep, enduring conflict will eventually collapse under the weight of its own infighting.

“Cannot stand” and “falls”

Mark and Matthew phrase the result as an inability to stand:

οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι (ou dunatai stathēnai) - “is not able to stand” (Mark 3:24)
οὐ σταθήσεται (ou stathēsetai) - “will not stand” (Matthew 12:25)

The verb ἵστημι (histēmi) means “to stand,” “to be firm,” “to be established.” To stand is to remain stable, enduring, and intact. A divided house lacks the capacity for stability.

Luke adds the phrase:

οἰκία ἐπ’ οἰκίαν πίπτει - “a divided household falls” (Luke 11:17, ESV)

The verb πίπτω (piptō, “to fall”) intensifies the image. Division does not merely render a house shaky. Sooner or later, it collapses. The sequence is clear: division leads to desolation, instability, and ultimately, ruin.

The strong man and “plundering his house”

In both Matthew and Mark, Jesus supplements the “house divided” image with the parable of the strong man:

“How can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?” (Matthew 12:29, ESV)

The phrase “strong man’s house” uses oikia again. Satan is imagined as a powerful owner guarding his household of captives and possessions. To “bind” (δήσῃ, dēsē) the strong man is to restrain his authority. Only then can the liberator “plunder” (διαρπάσαι, diarpasai) his goods. Jesus presents Himself as the One who has invaded Satan’s domain, bound him, and is now freeing those who were in bondage.

Together, these phrases paint a coherent picture. Satan’s kingdom is not in a state of self-destructive civil war. It is being assaulted from the outside by One who is stronger, namely Jesus, empowered by the Spirit of God. The Pharisees’ accusation thus collapses at every point.

The Logic of Jesus’ Argument

Jesus’ reasoning in these texts is not merely clever. It reveals profound spiritual realities.

A reductio ad absurdum

At one level, Jesus employs what philosophers call a reductio ad absurdum. He takes the Pharisees’ premise - that He casts out demons by Satan’s power - and asks what follows from it. If that were true, Satan would be systematically destroying his own domain. As Jesus puts it,

“If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?”
(Matthew 12:26, ESV)

The very efficacy of Jesus’ exorcisms contradicts the Pharisees’ claim. Satan is wicked, but he is not irrational. Demons may act chaotically in individual lives, but at the level of strategy, the demonic realm is bent on maintaining its grip, not casting itself out.

Exposing inconsistency: “Your sons”

Jesus also exposes their inconsistency:

“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?”
(Matthew 12:27; Luke 11:19, ESV)

There were Jewish exorcists in the first century whose practices the Pharisees accepted. If exorcism is automatically demonic in origin, why are their own “sons” exempt from suspicion? Their criticism of Jesus is not grounded in principle, but in envy and hostility.

The true explanation

Jesus then offers the true diagnosis:

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
(Matthew 12:28, ESV)

“But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
(Luke 11:20, ESV)

The phrase “Spirit of God” (πνεύματι Θεοῦ, pneumati Theou) clearly attributes His authority to the Holy Spirit. The phrase “finger of God” (δάκτυλῳ Θεοῦ, daktulō Theou) recalls the plagues in Exodus, where the magicians confess that an act is the “finger of God” (Exodus 8:19). Jesus’ exorcisms are signs that the God of Israel is present and active in Him.

The verb “has come upon you” (ἔφθασεν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, ephthasen eph’ humas) carries the sense of arrival, even of surprising arrival. The Kingdom of God is not simply a future hope; it has drawn near and even overtaken those who are hearing Jesus. The exorcisms are not anomalies. They are the evidence that the reign of God is breaking into the present age.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Within this context, the warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit becomes intelligible. To see the liberating work of the Spirit in Christ and to insist that it is the work of Satan is to invert good and evil at the deepest level. That refusal to acknowledge the Spirit’s testimony to Christ locks a person into a posture in which repentance becomes increasingly impossible. The house divided, saying therefore is not a casual proverb. It is part of a severe warning not to oppose the very work of God in Christ.

Unity, Division, and the People of God

While Jesus’ immediate point concerns the absurdity of attributing His exorcisms to Satan, the principle He articulates has broader application. Scripture repeatedly applies this logic of unity and division to the people of God.

Satan’s kingdom and the irony of cohesion

Ironically, Jesus implies that Satan’s kingdom exhibits a kind of tactical cohesion. The demonic realm is united in opposition to God. They are not sabotaging their own mission by casting each other out. This does not commend them morally, but it exposes the tragedy when the servants of God, who follow a better Master, are riven with division.

The Apostle Paul often pleads for unity in the Church. To the Corinthians he writes,

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
(1 Corinthians 1:10, ESV)

The word “divisions” is σχίσματα (schismata), from which the English “schism” comes. Paul is deeply concerned that factionalism in the Church will undermine its witness and health, just as Jesus’ principle suggests.

To the Romans he writes,

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”
(Romans 16:17, ESV)

Doctrinal fidelity and relational unity go together. Teachers who promote error and division threaten the stability of the household of God.

The fruit of peace and the call to harmony

Unity is not a vague sentiment. It grows from the work of the Spirit. Paul lists peace as a fruit of the Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
(Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)

As followers of the Prince of Peace, believers are called to be peacemakers. Jesus says,

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
(Matthew 5:9, ESV)

Paul exhorts,

“Live in harmony with one another.”
(Romans 12:16, ESV)

The letter to the Hebrews likewise urges,

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
(Hebrews 12:14, ESV)

The Psalms celebrate the goodness of unity:

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
(Psalm 133:1, ESV)

Unity is therefore not a marginal virtue. It is integral to the life of the Church. The logic of Jesus’ saying presses upon the people of God: a fellowship divided against itself cannot stand. It will be weakened, exposed to attack, and in danger of desolation.

A House Divided: The Spiritual Applications

With the exegetical foundation in place, we can discern several layers of application.

The divided heart: double-mindedness before God

James writes,

“For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
(James 1:7–8, ESV)

The term translated “double-minded” (δίψυχος, dipsuchos) literally means “two-souled.” It describes a person whose inner life is divided between trust and distrust, obedience and compromise. The logic of Jesus’ saying applies here: a heart divided against itself cannot stand. Spiritual instability flows from inner incongruity.

When a believer acknowledges Jesus as Lord and yet clings to hidden patterns of sin, there is a kind of internal civil war. The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh (compare Galatians 5:17). Although sanctification involves conflict as the Spirit conquers the remnants of sin, the believer is called to settle allegiance:

“No one can serve two masters.”
(Matthew 6:24, ESV)

The call is to wholehearted devotion, not to a life that oscillates endlessly between Christ and idols. Confession, repentance, and a fresh surrender to the Spirit’s lordship bring integration. The Kingdom of God does not enter the heart in alliance with sin, but in victory over it.

The divided household: marriage and family

Jesus’ image of a “house” divided speaks directly to marriages and families. A household torn apart by persistent, unrepented hostility, manipulation, or bitterness becomes vulnerable. The Apostle Paul instructs husbands and wives to embody mutual love and respect (Ephesians 5:22–33). Parents are commanded not to provoke their children to anger, but to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). When these relationships break down into constant warfare, the house begins to crack.

This does not mean that a Christian family will never experience disagreement or pain. Jesus Himself acknowledges that loyalty to Him may bring division where faith is rejected (for example, Luke 12:51–53). Yet where all parties claim to follow Christ, the Gospel calls them to deal honestly with sin, to forgive as they have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32), and to seek reconciliation.

A family that nurtures grudges, fosters favoritism, or tolerates abuse is a house divided against itself. Eventually, the emotional and spiritual infrastructure collapses. The Spirit invites such households to grieve over their divisions, to seek wise counsel, and to rebuild on the foundation of Christlike humility and love.

The divided Church: factions and sound doctrine

The image of a divided house applies most directly to the local Church as a spiritual household. The New Testament repeatedly uses household imagery for the Church. Believers are “members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19, ESV). Christ is a Son over God’s house, “and we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope” (Hebrews 3:6, ESV).

When a congregation becomes a battlefield of unchecked factions and rivalries, the house is in danger. Paul warns the Galatian believers that if they “bite and devour one another,” they must watch out that they “are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:15, ESV). The imagery mirrors Jesus’ logic: mutual destruction is the outcome of unrestrained division.

This does not mean that all disagreement is sinful. The New Testament itself records sharp disagreements (for example, Acts 15:36–40). There is a place for contending earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). The unity that Scripture commends is not unity at the expense of truth. Rather, it is the unity of “the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:13, ESV).

The key is alignment with Christ and His truth. When divisions arise because some reject the Gospel or promote false teaching, the Church must separate from error for the sake of faithful witness. Yet when divisions arise from pride, jealousy, ethnic prejudice, or personal preference, they reveal a house at war with itself in ways that grieve the Spirit.

Unity around the truth

Therefore, the call is not to unity at any cost, but to unity around the truth of the Gospel. Paul instructs the Ephesians to be zealous to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3, ESV). He roots this unity in one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father (Ephesians 4:4–6).

At the same time, he warns Timothy to guard the good deposit of sound teaching (2 Timothy 1:13–14). A Church that compromises the Gospel for the sake of a superficial peace is not truly unified. Instead, it is divided in its allegiance - professing Christ with its lips while undermining His Word with its teaching. That kind of internal contradiction cannot stand. Eventually, it yields spiritual desolation.

The task of Christian leaders is therefore twofold. They must teach sound doctrine that accords with the Gospel, and they must shepherd the flock toward relational unity in that truth. Where doctrinal fidelity and genuine love go together, the house is strengthened against the assaults of the enemy.

The wider world and the witness of the Church

Jesus’ saying also speaks to the Church’s witness in a fragmented world. Human societies often reveal their internal divisions in tribalism, injustice, and conflict. Nations and communities that are deeply fractured can become unstable and prone to collapse. While Scripture does not invite the Church to place ultimate hope in any earthly nation, it does call believers to be salt and light.

When the Church displays a unity that crosses ethnic, social, and economic boundaries, it offers a living alternative to the world’s divisions. Jesus prays that His disciples may be one “so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21, ESV). The unity of the Church around the crucified and risen Lord becomes a testimony that the Kingdom of God has indeed come upon us.

The Indestructible House of Christ

In the end, the most significant contrast in these passages is not between a united and divided human institution, but between the doomed kingdom of Satan and the enduring Kingdom of Christ.

Satan’s house is already being plundered

When Jesus speaks of binding the strong man and plundering his house, He reveals that Satan’s apparent stability is already under judgment. The exorcisms are early demonstrations that the age to come is breaking into the present. Every person delivered from demonic oppression, every sinner transferred from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13), is a piece of plunder taken from the strong man’s house.

The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus intensify this victory. At the cross, God “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15, ESV). The strong man has been decisively bound. His final destruction is certain, even though he continues to resist until the consummation.

Satan’s kingdom, therefore, is in a paradoxical condition. It maintains tactical unity in opposition to God, but it has already been invaded and mortally wounded. In light of Jesus’ words, we can say that his kingdom is a house that will not stand. It is destined for ultimate desolation.

Christ’s Church is a house that will stand

By contrast, Jesus is building a house that cannot fall. When Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declares,

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
(Matthew 16:18, ESV)

The Church is the household that Christ Himself constructs. It is built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). This House may suffer, be persecuted, and be shaken. Local congregations may fall through unfaithfulness. Yet the Church as the Body and Bride of Christ will stand, because its unity ultimately rests not in human wisdom, but in the preserving power of the Lord.

The prophet Daniel speaks of a kingdom that God will establish:

“His kingdom shall be one that shall not be destroyed.”
(Daniel 7:14, ESV; compare Daniel 6:26)

Jesus, in casting out demons and proclaiming the Gospel, reveals that this indestructible Kingdom has already entered history. He is the King whose dominion will never end. The house He builds will not be divided in the final sense, because He will purify and perfect His people.

Walking in the Light of This Saying

What then does it mean, in practical terms, that a house divided cannot stand? Several pastoral implications flow from our study.

Examine your allegiances

First, this saying invites each believer to examine his or her own heart. Are there ways in which you are trying to serve two masters? Are you outwardly aligned with Christ while inwardly harboring patterns of sin that you refuse to confront? A heart that cherishes divided loyalties will experience spiritual instability.

This examination is not an invitation to despair, but to deeper authenticity. The Spirit brings hidden things to light not to destroy, but to heal. Confession of sin, honest lament, and renewed trust in the cleansing blood of Christ realign the soul. As we walk in the light, we experience the integrating power of the Spirit.

Guard the unity of your household

Second, the saying calls believers to guard the unity of their households. This does not mean uniformity of personality or the absence of struggle. It does mean cultivating patterns of repentance, forgiveness, and communication that prevent unresolved conflict from hardening into division.

Families may begin by praying together, reading Scripture together, and openly acknowledging their need of grace. When sin wounds relationships, the Gospel invites each member to say, “I was wrong. Please forgive me,” and to extend forgiveness grounded in the forgiveness they have received from Christ.

Labor for unity in the Church

Third, the saying calls all believers to labor for unity in the Church. This labor involves doctrinal discernment, because unity in error is a counterfeit peace. It also involves relational commitment, because the unity of the Spirit must be “maintained” (Ephesians 4:3, ESV) through patience, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love.

Practically, this means refusing to participate in gossip and slander, refusing to nurse resentments, and being quick to seek reconciliation. It means submitting personal preferences to the larger good of the body, as long as the Gospel is not compromised. It means honoring leaders who faithfully teach the Word, while holding them accountable in a biblical way.

Bear witness to the unshakable Kingdom

Finally, the saying reminds the Church that its ultimate hope lies not in its own coherence, but in the unshakable Kingdom of Christ. The Church will fail if it relies on human strength. Yet Jesus has promised that His Gospel will be preached to all nations and that He will be with His people to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18–20).

Therefore, even as we grieve over divisions and work for unity, we do so with confidence in the One who has already bound the strong man and is plundering his house. Each time a sinner repents and believes the Gospel, each time a broken relationship is reconciled in the name of Christ, we see another sign that the Kingdom of God has come upon us.

Living Undivided in the Kingdom of God

When Jesus declares that “every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand” (Matthew 12:25, ESV), He is not offering a mere proverb for political discourse. He is unveiling a deep spiritual principle at the center of His conflict with the kingdom of darkness.

The Pharisees had seen undeniable evidence of Jesus’ authority over demons. Rather than bow before the reality that the Spirit of God was at work in Him, they attributed His power to Satan. Jesus answered with irrefutable logic from the nature of kingdoms and households: internal division leads to desolation. Satan does not cast out Satan. Instead, Jesus is the Stronger One who binds the strong man, plunders his house, and reveals that the Kingdom of God has arrived.

At the same time, this principle reflects a broader reality that touches every level of existence. A heart divided between Christ and idols will experience instability. A family that refuses repentance and forgiveness will tear itself apart. A Church that devours itself with factions will weaken its witness and grieve the Spirit. A house divided cannot stand.

Yet the good news is that Christ is building a house that will stand. He is gathering a people from every tribe and tongue, uniting them by His Spirit, grounding them in His Word, and shaping them into a dwelling place for God. His Kingdom will not be destroyed. His dominion will never end.

Therefore, the call of this teaching is both sobering and hopeful. It calls us to repent of divided allegiances, to pursue peace and unity in our households and congregations, and to entrust ourselves to the King who has bound the strong man and is even now plundering his goods. In Him, and only in Him, we become a house that stands - not because of our own strength, but because we are founded on the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ, and indwelt by the Spirit of God through whom the Kingdom has already come upon us.