# Is “A house divided against itself cannot stand” in the Bible?

> Yes. “A house divided against itself cannot stand” comes from the Bible, from Mark 3:25.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-house-divided-against-itself-cannot-stand
By Andrew Kittridge · November 9, 2026

Jesus says it when he is accused of driving out demons by Satan’s power.

## The verse

> If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
>
> — [Mark 3:25](https://www.lumin.faith/read/mark/3#25) (Lumin Translation)

The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse.

## What it means there

His argument: if Satan were fighting Satan, his kingdom would be finished. Abraham Lincoln borrowed the line in 1858 for a speech about slavery, which is how many Americans know it.

## Also in the Bible

> Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
>
> — [Matthew 12:25](https://www.lumin.faith/read/matthew/12#25) (Lumin Translation)

> But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself falls.
>
> — [Luke 11:17](https://www.lumin.faith/read/luke/11#17) (Lumin Translation)

## Common questions

### Is “A house divided against itself cannot stand” in the Bible?

Yes. “A house divided against itself cannot stand” comes from the Bible, from Mark 3:25. The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse. Jesus says it when he is accused of driving out demons by Satan’s power.

### Where in the Bible is “A house divided against itself cannot stand”?

In Mark 3:25, and also Matthew 12:25 and Luke 11:17. In the Lumin Translation, Mark 3:25 reads: “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

### Who said “A house divided against itself cannot stand”?

Jesus says it when he is accused of driving out demons by Satan’s power.

### What does “A house divided against itself cannot stand” mean in the Bible?

His argument: if Satan were fighting Satan, his kingdom would be finished. Abraham Lincoln borrowed the line in 1858 for a speech about slavery, which is how many Americans know it.

## More

- [Is “A labor of love” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-labor-of-love.md)
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- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)