Mat 12:43-45 - When the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and
finds none. Then he says, I will return into my house from whence I came out;
and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he goes, and
takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter
in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even
so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Quite often when we read this portion of
scripture we relegate it only to those poor souls who are completely taken over and have become demon
possessed, but there is unique insight and powerful principles here for all of
us to consider and learn.
Firstly, we can see the nature of the enemy
in that he is a restless entity; ever seeking, never finding; an eternal
vagabond, always aware of a gnawing sense of agitation. That is Satan’s
disposition and that sensation is what he attempts to foster in the heart of
man. If you have ever had any acquaintance or dealings with a restless person,
you know that it is seems almost futile to help them; true rest can only come
from above, and only a restful person has genuine authority and lasting victory
over the adversary.
Another thing that we see with respect to
the nature of the enemy is that he desires to own, possess and occupy man. He
is ever seeking to influence, manipulate and control whomever he can;
accordingly, then, the enemy, once dealt with, must continue to be dealt with.
We can exercise authority and cast him out but, subsequently, we must exercise
vigilance and keep him out. The enemy desires to return and to come back in to
the same place that he once ruled, and because he is a persistent opponent,
watchfulness and attentiveness are just two of the necessary elements that will secure
our continued freedom.
Not only does the unclean spirit want to
return but, he wants to reinforce his previously held stronghold; bringing the
man into a worse state than the first. So again, we get a glimpse into his strategy
and tactics. The enemy has an intention to strengthen his wicked purpose and ultimately
bring utter devastation and ruin to the man. Make no mistake friends, there is
a war and we are the targets; our foe hates all that even remotely resembles
the image of God in man. We may have met some harsh, hard-hearted people but
they pale in comparison with just how malicious, menacing and ruthlessly cruel this evil
spirit truly is.
When the unclean spirit had the rule of the
house disorder and uncleanness was the norm. Once that spirit was gone the man
was able to clean up his life and set things in order, however that is not
enough. Any house, even if it is located in a posh neighborhood, must be
occupied to ensure its safety and maintenance. Thieves love to find clean,
orderly and vacant houses, because unoccupied houses have no one home to defend
them. The problem with this house was not that it was clean and orderly, the
problem was that it remained empty. There is an old saying that tells us that
nature abhors a vacuum, but so also does the human heart; something will inevitably
fill it.
The principle we are being taught here is
what we might call the Law of Displacement. When the children of Israel were
commanded to go in and possess the Promised Land, the first thing they had to
do was deal with the occupants of the land; they had to drive out the enemy.
Once the enemy had been driven out he was to be kept out by their occupation of
the new land, in other words, they displaced the enemy. We could also describe
this law another way; how would one get the air out of a glass? You couldn’t
shake it out. You could turn the glass upside down but, still the air would not
come out. The only way to get air out of a glass and keep it out is to fill the
glass with another substance, such as water. The water displaces the air, takes up residence and thus, prevents its return.
Holy Spirit, please come and fill our hearts
with your presence, fill our minds with your thoughts and fill our lives with a
renewed sense of purpose. Let this next season be one of an awakening to all
that God has for us. Let us be filled, be focused and remain free, in Jesus’
name, amen!
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