Please Close the Door

Houses are built with doors to gain access from the outside of the house to the inside and vice versa. Doors also keep things on the inside from getting out, but more important they keep unwanted things outside from getting in. The same holds true for in the lives of every person. Although people do not have literal doors in their life, the term is used as a metaphor for opening ones life for good or evil to enter in. Jesus tells us a story concerning this...

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, 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. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45)

For us to understand what Jesus is saying we have to look at what has transpired. First, the Pharisees once again were looking for something to accuse Jesus of, namely breaking the Law. His disciples were plucking heads of grain and were eating them, it was the Sabbath. Basically, the Pharisees were accusing them of breaking the law by working on the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:1-2) Jesus puts them in their place by referring to what King David, one of their most respected patriarchs did, in that he took the showbread that was for the priest only, ate it and gave it to his men to also eat. Jesus also quotes Hosea 6:6, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." (Matthew 12:3-8) 

Next, Jesus heals "a man who had a withered hand" and again it is on the Sabbath. The next thing that occurs is "a great multitudes followed Jesus and He healed them all." (Matthew 15::16) The people, "...brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw." (Matthew 16:22) The Pharisees, who refused to accept anything that Jesus said or did as anything from God said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” (Matthew 16:24) Jesus then gives the Pharisees a some food for thought concerning any kingdom that is divided and even gives them a prophetic word concerning what He would eventually do, "how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house." (Matthew 12:25-29) (Jesus went into the devils house, bound him and plundered hid goods) 

Jesus warns the Pharisees of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit." Although the Pharisees have seen the Father working signs and wonders through Jesus, it wasn't enough to soften their hardened hearts, so they ask Jesus for a sign to satisfy their unbelief. Jesus' then reveals their spiritual condition. (Matthew 12:38-42) Finally Jesus uses the above illustration to expose what was going on in the lives of the Pharisees.

Jesus speaks about an unclean spirit who, for some reason, has gone out of a man. He wanders around and after a certain period of time, he then comes back to the house (the man) from which he was thrown out. He sees that the house (the man) is empty, swept and put in order.  The Greek word for "put in order" is kosmeo, from which we have the word "cosmetics." It basically means decorated, tidied up or embellished. We notice that the evil spirit  does not move into the house and take possession of it, but he goes away and finds seven other spirits more wicked than himself to come with him to enter the house. Why would he do this? He was cast out the first time, so by bringing seven stronger evil spirits more wicked than himself, he is not going to be driven out that easily. Jesus finishes this illustration by saying, "the last state of that man is worse than the first." At the beginning, he was possessed by only one evil spirit. Now he is possessed by eight evil spirits. This is why the spiritual condition of this man had become worse.

This illustration show us that humans are thought of as a house, a house which is either going to be the house of God or the house of the devil. In other words, there are only two possible situations: we live under God’s power or we live under the power of Satan. (Acts 26:19) There is no neutral ground between these two. The Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign as proof of who He truly was. Even if Jesus showed them a sign, their belief in Him would only last for a time, because their unbelief and wickedness would once again prevail over them and they would soon return to their former ways and even become worse than what they were before. Wickedness was at home in them in the same way that an evil spirit made his home in the man in this illustration. If driven out by seeing a sign, it would seek another place to take up residence but would find no other place as comfortable or peaceful as what it had in the Pharisees.    

Here is an important point of this passage. The fact that a person has been set free from the power of Satan does not mean that he will automatically remain free. A half-hearted repentance, the point that Jesus was making concerning the true condition of the Pharisees, and or unrepentant sin will leave a vacuum that the devil is able to exploit. Paul tells us, "do not give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) So, if you are struggling in an area of your life that you seem to be lacking victory, just turn to the Lord with a heart of godly sorrow and receive His forgiveness. " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) The devil is defeated (Colossians 2:15), sin no longer has the dominion over you (Romans 6:14) you are a New Creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37) and you can live in victory everyday (1 Corinthians 15:57) through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So close the door to the devil and open it up for the King of Glory to come in. PTL