A Full House

The Danger of an Empty Soul

The Gospel of Luke The Peril of the Empty Soul (Luke 11:24–8)

There was a man from whom an unclean spirit was expelled. The spirit wandered seeking rest and found none. It determined to return to the man. It found his soul swept and garnished—but empty. So the spirit went and collected seven spirits worse than itself and came back and entered in; and the man’s last state was worse than his first.

A soul without purpose; idle

Cleaned from evil. Well taught what they are NOT to do, but nothing has replaced what has been taken away or preached against.

Religion tends to present a list of negatives - things you must put away (lying, gossiping, sex, drugs, adultery, gambling, clubs). A catalogue of forbidden things.

After the rooting out of evil, there must come the filling with good. You’ve got to fill a man with something.

The Unclean Spirit

Verses 43-45 teach three important truths about demon possession:

Evil spirits desire to return to the person they formerly possessed. “I will return into my house from whence I came out” (v. 44) You are familiar territory. The demons claim ownership.

Evil spirits cannot return if that person’s heart is occupied by the Holy Spirit. “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God” ()

When a person allows his heart to be re-occupied by evil spirits, it affects an entire society. “Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” (vs. 45)

Filling Your House

The best way to avoid evil is to do good. Not enough to uproot weeds in a garden; flowers must be sown and planted until there’s no space for weeds to grow.

Especially true in our thoughts. We must do more than say to ourselves, ‘I will not think about that’. All we do is fix our minds on it even more. The cure is to banish the evil though by thinking a good thought. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” ()

Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order.

Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order. (AMP). Too often we focus on ‘putting things in order’, organizing, de-cluttering, and sweeping out the old, but we forget to fill the house!

We fill our house (our soul) with intentional thoughts, good works, positive uplifting worship music, sowing seeds, getting out of church into community and volunteering, making somone’s day.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.You are familiar territory (v. 44)