They tried to say Jesus could cast out demons because he was possessed by demons.

That’s when he said, “How can Satan drive out Satan?

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:23-25)

Abraham Lincoln quoted that verse on June 16, 1858, after he had accepted the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination as that

state’s US senator.

Lincoln lost that election, but his “House Divided” speech made an impact.

The nation was divided on the issue of slavery, and Lincoln proclaimed in that speech:

“I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall.

But I do expect it will cease to be divided.

It will become all one thing or all the other.”

This nation, after a bloody civil war, became all free.

27 years after the war ended, a Baptist preacher in 1892 named Francis Bellamy wrote the original version of our pledge:

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Here we are, over 150 years after the war that divided our nation so badly, wondering once again how much division our nation can endure.

In our 2-party system, it does seem like we are a nation equally divided between liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, socialists and capitalists.

But the battle lines are not clear, and there are more than 2 sides to our divided house.

If I were to update Lincoln’s words today it might sound like this:

“I believe this government cannot endure permanently half liberal/socialist/democrat and half conservative/capitalist/republican.

“I do not want the Union to be dissolved, but I do not believe this house can go on like it is much longer.

“And it doesn’t appear that we will cease to be divided soon.

“We truly need to cry out to God to save and preserve this land that we all love, no matter which side of the house you are in.”

Dan Williams is the senior adult pastor at Lexington Baptist Church.