Mat 12:25 Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

This is a statement about the nature of power. It is particularly interesting to me because I teach classical strategy and it is one of the many areas where Christ's teachings overlap with the principles of strategy.

"Kingdom" is basileia which "kingdom," "dominion," "royal power," and "reign." It is the same word used in the phrase "kingdom of heaven." It means that which is ruled by a specific person, a basileus, which means "leader," "prince," "commander," or "king." Basileia is not a synonym for a state, a country, or any social group of people (see polis below). A basileia is defined by its control or ownership by the master and refers both to people and property under that control.

"Divided" is merizô, which means "to divide," "to spit up," and "to be divided."

"Is brought to desolation" is erêmoô, which means "to strip bare," "to lay waste," "to be left without," and "to abandon."

"City" is polis, which means "city," but at the time also indicated a country, a society, a country, and a community. It was generally thought of as the defining social unity for a people.

"House" is oikia, which means "house," "building," and "household." It was also the term that was used to describe a family or clan and the people associated with that family or clan, such as their servants and slaves.

"Stand" is histêmi, which means (among other things) "to stand," "to set up," "to place," and "to rise up." It is used here in the negative. Classical strategy (which is the basis for the entire science of strategy) teaches that unity (not size, wealth, or force) is the foundation of strength. Here, Christ is expressing that same idea in a very specific way. He says that everything that requires fidelity to a leader is destroyed by divided loyalties. Christ goes on to say that social structures fall apart when the people are split from one another. It is interesting to note that in classical strategy, the element that is the uniting force is a shared philosophy or belief in a mission. Does Christ agree with this view?