"The locked doors" means that we must be prepared before temptations, and when we fall into them, the door to preparation is already locked, and we, finding ourselves unprepared, will be in danger unless God helps. "Children" are (since they turned earlier) those who through virtue have become sons of God, recline and rest in God.
Lk. 11:9. And I say unto you: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,
See what precision there is in the words. The Lord did not say "ask" and it will be given to you, but "keep asking," that is, seek unceasingly.
Lk. 11:10. Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
"Everyone who asks receives." Does the one who asks for useless things receive? No. For, first of all, a request for useless things cannot even be called a request before God. For whoever prays to God must ask for what He gives. And if someone asks for useless things, he makes his request not to God, for He does not give what is not beneficial.
Lk. 11:11. Which of you fathers, when his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or, when he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent instead of a fish?
Lk. 11:12. Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Lk. 11:13. Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
Then hear how the Lord Himself also teaches us to ask for what we ought to ask. He says: a son asks for "bread" and "fish" and "an egg." Therefore, just as these items constitute food for a person, so too our petitions should be beneficial to us and serve as help. By the one asking for "bread," understand, perhaps, everyone who asks that the faith in the Trinity and the correctness of the dogmas be revealed to him. For these, as that which strengthens the heart, are bread. And the one who asks for "fish" is he who, being in the sea of this life, asks God for help so that he, like a fish, might be preserved alive and unsubmerged amid temptations. And the one who asks for "an egg" is he who desires that the offspring of virtuous souls be given to him — souls which, having taken wings, having soared in spirit, and having flown above the earth, may rightly be likened to birds.
Lk. 11:14. Once He cast out a demon which was mute; and when the demon had gone out, the mute man began to speak; and the people were amazed.
"Mute" is often used to refer to one who does not speak; but it also refers to one who does not hear, or more precisely, one who neither hears nor speaks. Those who have been deaf from birth also do not speak. This happens to them by necessity, for we speak what we learn through hearing. When someone does not hear, in all likelihood he does not speak either. Unless someone's hearing was damaged later, from illness — nothing prevents such a person from speaking. The one brought to Christ was mute in both respects: in tongue and in ear. He is an image of human nature, which, being possessed by demons, was capable neither of hearing the words of God, nor still less of proclaiming them. But the Lord, having come and cast out the demons — that is, passionate and demonic deeds — made it so that we not only speak but also preach the truth. For the words of God must not only be heard but also recounted to others. So let us who have demonic deeds within us hear this — we who think to teach others and allow ourselves to be called teachers by men. For when the demon departs, then there is true eloquence and teaching; but so long as the works of demons (the passions) remain within us, we do not speak, even though we appear to be speaking.
Lk. 11:15. But some of them said: He casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
Lk. 11:16. And others, testing Him, demanded from Him a sign from heaven.
The Pharisees slander the miracle and revile the Lord as a deceiver. They say: He is in league with the prince of demons and with his assistance "casts out demons."
Lk. 11:17. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against itself falls;
Lk. 11:18. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? But you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub;
The Lord says to them: how is it possible for a demon to cast out another demon? This would already be the destruction of his kingdom. For if they place their kingdom and rest in dwelling within people, and their own prince casts them out, then it is clear that he is destroying himself. For "every kingdom divided" against itself and thrown into turmoil is brought to ruin, and "a house divided... shall fall." By "house," will you understand a building? Very well. For a building stands only so long as it maintains its unity, but when the walls separate from one another, it falls. Will you understand by "house" those living in the house? They too, as long as they keep peace, stand, but if they rise up against one another, they fall.
Lk. 11:19. If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
Let it be so, that "I cast out demons... by the power of Beelzebul"; but "your sons," that is, the apostles, "by whose power do they cast them out?" Is it not obvious that it is by My name? How then do you say about Me that I cast out demons through Beelzebul, being in need of his power, when your sons, namely the apostles, cast them out by My name? Truly, they will judge you. For if they cast out demons by My name, then I Myself obviously have no need of the power of another.
Lk. 11:20. But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then surely the Kingdom of God has reached you.
I cast out demons "by the finger of God," that is, by the Holy Spirit, and not by an evil spirit. He calls the Spirit "finger" so that you may know that just as a finger is of one essence with the whole body, so also the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son. And perhaps He calls Him so for this reason as well: the Son is called the right hand of God, and on Him rested the seven powers of the Spirit, not as on an instrument of the Spirit, but as on One consubstantial with Him; and one of the gifts and operations of the Spirit is the power to heal. He says that I cast out demons "by the finger of God," that is, by a gift of the Spirit. For just as a finger is a part of the hand, so also the spirit of healings was a part of those spirits, that is, powers of the Spirit, which Jesus possessed.
If, He says, "I... cast out demons" by the power of God, then truly "the Kingdom of God has come upon you." And this has the following meaning: the kingdom of the devil is finally being destroyed, and God, who casts out demons, reigns. For listen to what He says next.
Lk. 11:21. When the strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace;
Lk. 11:22. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.
Before My coming, He says, Satan was strong and "guarded his house," that is, he ruled over human nature firmly and securely. But when I came, "the one stronger than he," then I conquered the world and all "his armor in which he trusted," that is, every kind of sin. For sin is the weapon of the devil, and with it he boldly overcame people. All this armor of his I destroyed, because no sin was found in Me (1 Pet. 2:22); from that time he grew weak. And "his spoils," that is, the people who were, as it were, his prey, I wrested from him and entrust each one to a special Angel, a faithful guardian, so that instead of the demon in whose power he was held, an Angel would govern him.