Satan’s Residence

Sunday, January 16, 2022

43-45 “When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn’t find anyone, it says, ‘I’ll go back to my old haunt.’ On return, it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he’d never gotten cleaned up in the first place.

“That’s what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren’t hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in.”

-Matthew 12:43-45 The Message

Verse 43: “Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.

Verse 44: Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.

Verse 45: Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Verses 43-45 studies: Jesus describes the behavior of the nation of Israel and religious leaders. Cleaning up life without filling it with God leaves a lot of room for Satan to take residence. In the book of Ezra, it is recorded how people rid themselves of idolatry but failed to replace it with the love of God, and obedience to him. The first step is ridding ourselves of sin; the second step is filling our lives with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. Vacant and complacent people are easy targets for Satan.

Cross References

12:43

Luke 11:24-26

12:45

Mark 5:9; Luke 11:26; Hebrews 6:4-8; 2 Peter 2:20

Father, let me be transparent. I am one of those people who don’t fill up enough of you, which is why Satan entered in some dark times. I pray that I continue to read your Word in other ways. I failed to do that the last couple of weeks, especially during the holiday weeks. I pray we can stay on your Word for those in my shoes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.