Luke 11:24-26

Luke 11:24-26

“Whenever an unclean spirit should come out from a man, it passes through dry places while seeking rest.  And not finding any, it says, ‘I will return home out from where I came.’  And coming home, it finds it having been swept clean and put in order.  Then after departing it also finds seven spirits more wicked than itself.  Then after entering, it dwells there.  And the last place of that man becomes worse than the first.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

There is something that we should understand when we talk about unclean spirits.  They can be cast out, but their final defeat will not come until God defeats them in the end.  Think about what Jesus says here.  When an unclean spirit is cast out, it wanders around looking for a new place to rest.  Alternately, think about the man possessed with the legion of demons in the region of the Gerasenes.  There Jesus casts out the demons, but He sends them into a herd of pigs.  Even Jesus does not ultimately destroy the unclean spirits when He casts them out.  We can cast out demons, but we must be aware that they are not ultimately destroyed.  They will attempt to return.

What does this teaching tell us about spiritual warfare?  How experienced are you in the matters of spiritual warfare?

Second Thought:

As we progress through this teaching, we then hear that the man has been swept clean.  This is a figurative way of speaking that the man has found the path of righteousness and is living in the ways of God.  But again, notice what happens.  In spite of being swept clean, the demon comes back.  We are always susceptible to temptation.  As human beings, sin always lies crouching at the door waiting to ambush us.  We should follow God’s ways because it is the righteous thing to do.  But living a righteous life is no guarantee that we won’t fall into sinful behavior.  Our nature is corrupt.  We can clean house, but we must be diligent or else the house won’t stay clean.

When have you conquered sinfulness only to later find yourself guilty of the same sin, perhaps manifesting itself in a different way?  How do you combat this?

Third Thought:

Finally, we need to be aware that when sin finds a home it invites friends.  We know that this is true.  Very few people who are guilty of large horrible sin start out with large horrible sin.  Most people start with small sin.  That sin grows and manifests itself in a multitude of ways.  Soon we are sinning in ways we might not even recognize.  One sin leads to another and to another.  If we are not vigilant, our sinfulness can lead us out of control.

When has your sin led into other sins?  Where are you particularly susceptible to this pattern?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 11:27-28