At one point in his teaching, when he was challenged by the scribes, Jesus stated, "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." Mark 3:27; "The strong man" has frequently been identified as Satan, the devil. And "binding the strong man" has been interpreted in terms of exorcism or the binding of demons. But Christian Science has given a much broader and more practical application to the metaphor. Mrs. Eddy explains, "Mortal mind is 'the strong man,' which must be held in subjection before its influence upon health and morals can be removed." Science and Health, p. 400;
What is involved in this concept of the strong man, and how do we bind him? The basic error is the belief that man is material and that there is life and intelligence in matter. It is this belief of ego in matter that's the so-called strong man, or Satan, and this belief is manifested in all the arguments that this false sense presents. What is called material nature is that which resists the truth as presented by Christ Jesus and in Christian Science.
One time when Jesus was in the synagogue teaching, a man cried out: "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us?" Mark 1:24; This was an instance of the false, material ego resisting the truth as taught by Jesus. Mrs. Eddy says, "The nature of the individual, more stubborn than the circumstance, will always be found arguing for itself,—its habits, tastes, and indulgences." Miscellaneous Writings, p. 119;
