Eradicating Evil Spirits

A person without Christ is always a candidate for the entry of evil spirits. However clean or good they may be.

Overview

Context

Understanding the operation of evil spirits

The Cleansing process:

  • Letting go
  • Letting God
  • Living with God


Bible Passage

Matt 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26

43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Context

A person without Christ is always a candidate for the entry of evil spirits. However clean or good they may be.

Jesus is talking to “the wicked generation” – the religious leaders who are “clean”. The previous passage talks of people of “Ninevah” – pagans who repented and believed for a while, who are better than religious fakes.

They did prayers for casting out spirits, but those were ineffective as that was only the first step. They never prayed for the Holy Spirit to replace the evil.

Context

Jesus now explains why religious leaders who appear to be clean externally are more evil than the most barbaric pagans.

IN the invisible world…

Evil spirits are looking for a host – a person to make their home.

In their world, there is no rest – it is dry

When they possess a person and start destruction – that brings them “rest” of a kind.

When a person gets rid of the spirit, they clean up the place. Good habits, etc. But it is unoccupied

It can be occupied with evil spirit or Holy Spirit.

Understanding the operation of evil spirits

However after the exorcism and cleansing, it can and most probably will come back.

A clean house (soul) is not a safe (soul).

Only one that is filled with the Holy Spirit and continues that way is safe from the destructive influence of Satan.

He may harm the body but cannot harm the soul.

Understanding the operation of evil spirits

If the human is “empty” and not filled with the Holy Spirit, the evil spirit can return.

When it returns it will return more in number and strength.

The final state after exorcism and cleansing is worse than the first.

Possession in the religious

Those who are religious, who are cleaned and not filled with the Holy Spirt are therefore more dangerous than pagans.

All the good works, and external piety does not improve them

They are controlled by demons even if they do not manifest them.

The cleansing process

To be clean and remain clean these steps are mandatory

  • Letting go
  • Letting God
  • Living with God

Letting Go

What are we holding on to:

  • Bitterness?
  • Anger?
  • Addiction – anything that gives us a high?
  • Inadequacy?

When we surrender to God, we surrender to all these things

Letting Go

Even when we have experienced God and the Holy Spirit in our lives, there may be secret sins, known only to God.

These sins are usually in our thought patterns.

Unless we confess and ask God’s help to remove them, we are in deep trouble.

We will not experience God’s joy and peace.

If we go deeper into the sin, we can risk losing God’s presence altogether and backslide.

Letting God

After cleansing ourselves we need to fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit else will be filled with even worse evil spirit

This evil may not be in the form of horrendous acts. The more dangerous one is the appearance of good which attempts to crush true righteousness.

We allow God piece by piece to take over each area of our lives.

Living with God

The initial phase may be easy, but over the years as temptations and pressures push us, we need to ensure that God has first place in our lives and hearts. That we are consumed with Him and excited by Him more than any other.

Satan is desperately trying to catch us on any area.

Once we truly start giving God first place,

Living with God - First Love

Losing our first love for God is the first sign of downfall.

We need to do everything in our life to restore that first love and prioritize our time and relationship with God.

If we don’t have time for God, our relationship gets weaker.

Signs of assault

After knowing the last sign,

Are we still asking God for more?

Are we questioning our struggles, sicknesses, death

or

Are we still seeking how we can give God more?

Signs of Freedom

When we are truly free, we are passionate about:

  • Prayer
  • God’s word
  • Evangelism
  • Fellowship

We have joy, peace and love reigning irrespective of the situation.

Where Do we Stand?

What about us Christians? Can we be possessed by the evil spirit? If we are growing believers, no.

Saul had the holy spirit at one time and later on an evil spirit.

We may have a spurt experience of salvation, but if we are not holding on to it, the Spirit never gets to lodge. We can then be susceptible to the evil spirit.

True believers cannot be possessed, but we can be oppressed if Satan has a foothold in our lives. Depression, anger, bitterness, lust, etc. are signs that we are susceptible to Satanic oppression.

Freedom from Evil

The conclusion of the passage in Luke is the following. Matthew gives a similar conclusion.

Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it Luke 11:28

Discussion

1.What do we as Christians need to let go in our lives? Share personal examples

2.How can we “let God” take control of our lives in a practical manner?

3.How do we know that we are truly living in the freedom that God has for us?

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