Today we will be looking at Luke 11:24-26. Here Jesus teaches on evil spirits or demons. It is impossible to know how many evil spirits are operating throughout the world and in our society. The Bible is silent on this aspect and so, Christians should approach this issue with balance. On one hand we should not think that everyone is full of spirits and everything they do influenced directly by them. Yet, on the other hand, we should not pretend that we know better than Jesus himself and that they do not exist.
The experience throughout history is that if an evil spirit is involved they will make it clear in one way or another. Jesus was so successful in casting out evil spirits that his opponents accused him of being in league with the Prince of Demons. It was in such a case that Jesus began to explain what is really going on when an evil spirit is cast out of a person.
Now, it is helpful to have this information regarding evil spirits because it will be a protection for ourselves and an aid against those spirits if we encounter them. Yet, we must not let ourselves be made fearful in these things. Evil spirits are real. But, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Jesus proved his power over evil spirits and if the Spirit of Christ is in you and the knowledge of Christ is too, then you can stand without fear.
The spirit that Jesus had just cast out had made the person it possessed unable to speak. It is one thing to see a person go from acting crazy to being in their right mind. However, it is quite another to see a person who has been unable to speak suddenly able and doing so. As the crowds marveled over the power of Christ and others cynically accused him of working with Satan, we must not lose sight that people who are demon possessed can be set free.
So how did they become demon possessed to begin with? Initially there needs to be some form of permission. This can be in the form of curiosity with spirits, or seeking power through them, divination, fortune telling, occult arts, or even “white” and “black” magic. Pursuing these things is essentially opening the door to the spirits that have promoted these things. Although the Bible does not explain the detail of how all this works, it is clear that evil spirits can attach themselves to individuals in varying degrees of control. The good news is that Jesus demonstrated that spirits can be made to leave and not just in rare cases such as the Jewish exorcists did. Ultimately when one who is stronger spiritually confronts it, the spirit can be made to leave. Jesus is that one who is not just spiritually stronger, but is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords (materially or spiritually). He is the one that we lean upon. Yet, Jesus gives us more information than that here.
Two pictures are given of what it is like when an unclean spirit is cast out of someone: dry places, and lack of rest. For an evil spirit to be kicked out of possessing someone is like you and I finding ourselves in a desert. The dry place has no fruit or shade or promise of such. It is a barren place that will not grow what we would like to grow. Of course spirits aren’t looking for “food.” They are looking for a promising person that they can plant themselves in and do the evil works that they want to do. Thus they are restless or without a place (person) in which to dwell. Perhaps they desire possession because that is the only way they can impact the material world for evil. Satan’s desire is to destroy the works of God and so through possession spirits are able to fight against and destroy parts of God’s work in mankind and this world. Without this connection they are like a man who is stuck in the desert.
This raises a question. Why were there so many cases of demonic possession in those days? And, are there any less today? Though Israel had the truth of God, they generally did not follow the ways of God because of unbelief. Thus they were often mixing God’s commands with occult religion. The accepting of the religious practices of the nations around them led them into the trap of these spirits. If you look at America today we have a similar problem. We started out with the Truth of Christ as a nation. However, over the years our unbelief has caused us to seek out religious “truth” elsewhere. This has opened the door for greater prevalence of demonic activity and possession. You can scoff this teaching off today. However, these issues will become more and more prevalent in our society.
Evil spirits are not content with “dry places” and “restlessness.” They are looking for other easy targets. Are we quickly becoming a “target rich” environment? They last place you want to be, if you are messing with the occult or false religions, is at an exorcism. That would be playing with fire.
If the spirit does not find another easy target it will eventually return to the last place it had success. Jesus says that the spirit finds the person to be “swept and in order.” This by contrast helps us see what these evil spirits do inside of a person. They clutter the internal mind and soul of a person with spiritual dirt and garbage and cause chaos. We see this with the Gadarene demoniac. He went from running around naked and acting crazy to being clothed and in his right mind. Those who suffered sickness and disease in their bodies from evil spirits were healed when the spirit was made to leave. Those who were dysfunctional and mentally broken became functional and in control of their own mind and actions. Spirits use chaos and acts of sin and evil to breakdown the internal order and cease control.
This aspect is critical in understanding why Jesus is telling us this information. He had been accused of working with the Prince of Demons to cast out these evil spirits. Yet, Jesus reveals that the way it really works is that lesser spirits will use their foothold in a person to bring in worse spirits. The worse spirits are not kicking out lesser spirits. Yes, the evil spirit could try to take over the person again. However, it could end up getting kicked out again. Thus it gets 7 other spirits more evil than it. Look at it this way, people are more easily seduced by that which flirts on the edge rather than the outrageous in your face attack. An evil spirit that operates through mere anger and bitterness is easier to embrace than one that operates through murder. Yet, they are both evil and the embracing of one can lead to the other over time. Thus Jesus warns that the person can end up in a worse state than previously. Compare the Gadarene demoniac to the Slave girl in Philippi. One could not function at all and was complete chaos. The other operated in a way in which her masters could make money off of her and she didn’t need to be restrained. These spirits have modes of operating that can be more or less evil and yet all are dangerous.
Although Jesus leaves it at that, this information begs a solution. How can a person keep from being repossessed and end up in a worse state? Well it does start with the phrase swept and in order. Though the evil spirit may be gone, we can still have a lot of paraphernalia in our lives that led to possession in the first place (occult books, pictures, symbols, books of magic, etc…). We can also have a lot of habits and activities that the spirit used to keep us in slavery. A person who is serious in being free needs to go through their house and life and do some heavy cleaning and “pruning.” Certain places will cease to be our hangouts. Certain people will cease to be our friends.
Yet, more than cleaning needs to be done. We need to invite the clean and pure Holy Spirit of God to take up residence in our soul. Thus the people that Jesus interacted with received a lot of material benefit from Jesus. But all of that would be little if they didn’t spiritually benefit. Casting a spirit out is one thing. But asking the Holy Spirit to fill us and live within us is a far greater thing. Don’t leave the house empty. Accept the invitation that Jesus has extended to you today.
Let me close this by laying it out in order. When you are dealing with evil spirits the first thing that is needed is a strong believer in Jesus who will pray for the freedom of the person possessed. Next they need to sweep their life clean of all the spiritual junk connected to those spirits. Lastly, the person needs to put their faith in Jesus and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill them. This is the path to freedom for those who have found themselves in bondage to evil entities. May the peace and freedom of Christ reign in our hearts and minds.