Matthew 12:43: [Jesus the Christ speaking] “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he [ the unclean spirit] walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. ⁴⁴.Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out: and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. ⁴⁵.Then goeth he and taketh 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.” (cf Luke 11:24, KJV).

“empty, swept and garnished” With what is the inward being ‘garnished’ after the evil spirit has been eradicated? The embellishments that satisfy carnality, the flesh side of mankind’s multi-faceted nature as opposed to spiritual improvement in learning more about Godly holiness. Rather than embrace God the Creator, the inner being in this example is left clean but empty of any spirituality. In a condition of emptiness, a void will be filled with something, so the evil spirit takes advantage of an empty abode, rather than have nowhere to go or bother with a new search.

The spiritual, supernatural world, whether we embrace the good or the evil, is not going to be left homeless and they have a memory for who made them welcome.

The good wait to be invited, the evil hunt for an implied invitation.

Compare the warning of demons taking over, imperceptibly at first, a few at a time, in contrast to the man living among the tombs as taught in Mark, chapter 5, and Luke, chapter 8, who had a legion (vast number) of demons controlling him. Chains could not hold him; he was cutting his body and ran wildly naked. That’s the short version of his misery.

If you’ve seen someone with “no brain, no pain” due to (e.g.) substance abuse, you have witnessed demons take advantage of a portal left open. The physical body is collateral damage to evil spirits; the mind (soul) is the battlefield which determines our spiritual condition.

Body, soul, spirit= physical disciplined by mind, will and emotions (soul), deciding where we desire our spirit to dwell. Soul and spirit are often used interchangeably but they are different; our spirit is in tune with one side or the other, which determines the order of our life and ultimate destination.  

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

When Jesus approached the man living in the tombs, the demonic immediately knew who He was, addressing Him as the Son of God, begging Him to not torment them. As we read both accounts in Mark 5 & Luke 8, it has a happy end for the man who lived to proclaim how the Son of God delivered him from bondage.

In the story Jesus relays in Matthew 12:43, the evil spirit did not return alone, he brought seven more demons as a party of destruction to help finish off the person. No matter what manmade suggestions are offered, without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are doomed to fall into a snare of repetitive behaviors that will leave us defeated. Regardless how ‘nice’ someone is or whether intentions are meant to be for ‘good’, no one is safe without the Holy Spirit, which only comes to us through Jesus the Redeemer.

Oh, that’s certain to make some noise with those who claim they are fine without “some Savior” to rescue them and, strictly in an earthly sense, they have a point. The devils do not harass those who already abide in the demonic realm- devils patiently watch and thrive on causing people to collapse while, however, they have a targeted interest in discouraging those whom they have not/cannot conquer(ed).

Matthew, Chapter 4 (also, Luke 4) contains the recording of the temptation of Christ. We read the list of earthly power, prestige and possessions the devil offers in return for worship. His ultimate prideful goal is to be worshipped like ‘the most high God’ (Isaiah 14:12-23), except that he does not have the capacity for running the show with the holy, careful, kind attentiveness Almighty God has shown many times over.

Satan exemplifies self-centered ambition—misery demands company– while Almighty God exemplifies people-centric care—He wants to love and enjoy our company forever.

Ones who have truly accepted Jesus as their Savior, making him the main focus of their entire existence will tell how different and unimportant is this material dimension in view of our eternal dimensional destination. John 4:24 [Jesus speaking] “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Worldwide, we are free to choose which type of spiritual condition suits our taste but Jesus makes the guarantee for peace and contentment not found elsewhere. It’s an automatic, never-gonna-leave-you inner peace and joy even when the world is exploding, figuratively or literally.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (Side note: when He tells us in in Luke 12:51 that He will cause division, it speaks to exactly what we observe in the world; many will reject Him. When we tell others of Christ and they jeer, sneer or steer clear it’s Him they are mocking and rejecting, not us. Thus, the division we can sorrowfully expect.).

It’s difficult to fathom “7 times worse” demons attacking anyone but it’s sure that we’ve all seen it (whether we realize it) and some of us have felt the bondage with which these destructive spirits try to oppress and destroy people. Ever been depressed, anxious, addicted, etc.? Claiming to be sure Jehovah God is in agreement with decisions made/advocated but something is nagging in the soul? I pray for there to be that nagging doubt wherever He is not in agreement, or is rejected or ignored. If one has ever had the slightest encounter with the Savior, He will keep beckoning unless and until He’s sure we are at the point of no return, stubbornly “standing our ground”, then He, with sadness, leaves us alone to our pursuits.

I can testify, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, sweet Savior, for never giving up on me.”. He knows when we are not ourselves on the outside because He sees the inside. He also knows when we are wallowing. . . Take. His. Hand.

Bless His Holy Name.