A House of Spirits
Robert Wurtz II
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:24-28)
Who or What is at Home in Us?
Our passage is a profound revelation of individuals serving as a house for spirits. The broader context is that the Lord had cast out a demon (unclean spirit) from a person. Understand that unclean spirits can become entrenched in a sinner’s life so that only the power of God can release them. They are at rest in the person.
This “entrenching” (usually called “demon possession” or being “demonized”) happens when unclean spirits are at home and at rest in a person’s life. When a person practices uncleanness, their life aligns with the devil, and he is at rest there. He can be “at home” in a person just as we are “at home” and at rest in our own homes. The devil and his demons thrive in an atmosphere of uncleanness and rebellion.
Demons Drinking the Life
In some mysterious way, unclean spirits drink from the lives of unclean and defiled people. Notice what the Lord said, “(…) when the unclean spirit goes out of the man, it walks through dry places seeking rest and finding none.” The implication is that the demon spirit was not dry (thirsty) when it possessed its victim. Imagine a person traveling through a hot desert with no water. The demon spirit is thirsty and tired, seeking a place to rest and drink.
The “drink” motif is found throughout the New Testament to describe partaking of something (Matt. 20:22, 26:42; John 4:10, 6:53-55, 18:11, et al). When a person practices sin, rebellion, or false religion, they risk entering into fellowship with demons. Paul wrote, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” (1 Corinthians 10:21 KJV)
Any time a person is sympathetic to the occult or pagan practices, they open themselves to demons. Alcoholism, recreational drug use, New Age spirituality, and any other religion contrary to the Bible open a person up to demonic activity and oppression. Sin itself is an invitation to the Devil. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. Our obedience to God shouts NO VACANCY to the demons that once troubled us. Every room is filled with God!
A Place of Rest
In previous articles, we covered the concept of being a place of God’s rest, so I will only briefly mention Isaiah 66:1-2. God tells us where His place of rest is. It is not in a building or any structure. He looks to a person who is of a broken and contrite spirit and who trembles at his word. Stephen took up this topic in Acts chapter 7 and ran with it. God rests in people who are humble and take His word seriously.
However, there is also a place of rest for demon spirits. Luke 11 tells us that demons walk through dry places seeking rest. Within the broader context of the subject, we have the Greek word “topos,” from which we derive our word “topography.” When the demon cannot find another place of rest, or in other words, another person that they can feel comfortable around or in, they return to the person that they inhabited before.
If God is at rest in the life of the broken and contrite person who trembles at His word, it is reasonable to assume Satan takes the opposite view. He is at home when a person is arrogant, proud, and in rebellion against God’s word. This type of person shouts VACANCY to the Devil and his angels. If people only knew how vital humility and obedience were, they might take it more seriously and evict demonic forces from their lives.
Cleaned House
When the demon and his partners return, they find that the old house is cleansed of all of its defilements. Notice that God is not there either. The place is empty. So the demon seizes the opportunity to defile what God set in order. The original demon doesn’t operate alone, but with a team of demons more wicked than himself. They return to this house (person) and enter and dwell there. The person’s state is far worse than it was at the beginning.
Satan loves to defile purity. This is obvious from his track record. He is a defiler of sanctuaries. He started in the Garden of Eden and to this day seeks to defile us or fill our minds and hearts so that we defile ourselves (Matthew 15:18-20, Mark 7:20-23, Acts 5:3).
Learning from a Distraction
While Jesus was telling this story, a woman blurts out some flattering words that Jesus used to declare the solution as to why this person, who was demon possessed, never went forward with God. Contextually, the clear implication of what Jesus said is that the person heard the word but did not obey it. He said, “Blessed are they who hear the word of the Lord and keep it.” You will recognize that this is the second half of the qualification for being a place of God’s rest… trembling at God’s word (Isaiah 66:2).
Because the person did not keep God’s word, they did not become a place of God’s rest. In other words, God never entered into them by the Holy Spirit. So when the demon returned, he didn’t find God there; he found an empty house. There was no “strong man” to defend it (Luke 11:21).
Choosing What House You Want to Be
We have probably all met people who didn’t want the vexation of demons, but they also did not want to keep God’s word. And it was only a matter of time before they ruined the work that God started in their life. The enemy is relentless and returns in a much greater force than before. Why did it happen? Because the person mistakenly believed that they could remain unaffiliated (if you will) and serve neither God nor the devil. It was a dreadful miscalculation.
A Great Question
We need to ask ourselves a great question: What kind of house am I? Am I a place where God can rest? Or, am I a place where demons can rest? Is God “at home” around me, or are demons “at home” around or even in me? What or who are we entertaining by our actions? If we rebel against God, we become a place where the enemy can come and drink (as it were). That is to say, the enemy will come and partake of and even participate in our rebellion. He will fellowship with us. The enemy is a willing participant in other men’s sins.
The Danger of Forgetting
James speaks of a person who looks into the mirror of the word of God and, rather than doing what it says, they forget what kind of person they are. Rather than allowing God’s word to do its work, they ignore it just like the person who was cleared of demons in Luke 11.
Notice James 1:20 that says to be swift to hear and slow to wrath. In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul warns us not to allow the sun to go down on our anger because it will “give place” to the devil. Here, again, is our Greek word “topos ” from which we derive topography. Wrath and anger create a platform (environment) for demonic activity. We must be cautious. When anger turns to sin we are on dangerous ground. Why? Because Satan and his demons are at home in an angry and bitter person.
Our Lord’s words now are coming into focus, “(…) blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:24-28) How we respond to God’s word will determine whether we are blessed with His Holy Spirit or cursed with a band of demons bent on our destruction. We choose the kind of “house” we are going to be. God sets before us life and death… blessing and cursing. It behooves us to choose life.
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