THE RETURN OF THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT.
By John Nevins Andrews
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him 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.” Luke xi, 24-26. The same language is found in Matt. xii, 43-45, with two additional declarations. 1. That when the unclean spirit returns, he finds the house empty. 2. That as the last state of that man is worse than the first, so should “it be also unto this wicked generation.” What was the subject of discourse when our Lord uttered these words? The casting out of unclean spirits, or devils. Thus we read Luke xi, 14-23: “And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from Heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.” Then follow the words relative to the return of the unclean spirit to his house which he had left. It is evident, therefore, that this language of our Lord has reference to the case of those out of whom unclean spirits were cast. But did not the casting out of a demon make the person out of whom he was cast a Christian? By no means. He was simply delivered from the peculiar power of Satan. He was rescued from that condition in which Satan had the control to a great extent of his bodily and mental powers. He was delivered from these great disadvantages so that he had as good a chance to walk in the path to Heaven as any other person. And what is more, the fact of this great deliverance placed such persons under the strongest obligations to give themselves now wholly to God, lest a worse thing come upon them. What gives the unclean spirit a second entrance? Having found no rest, for his only relief is in holding men captive, and controlling such as fall under his special power, and it seems to be his prerogative to do this only when men open the way for him to do it, he returns to that man out of whom he was cast. When he returns, to his great joy he findeth the house, i. e., the heart of the man, empty. What should he have found? Not an empty house, certainly. That man who had been possessed of a demon, when that demon was cast out, ought to have sought after God. The house should not have been EMPTY. Jesus had cast out the demon. The man should have invited in this rightful owner of the house. Not to do it was simply to leave the house ready for the demon to return. So when he comes back and finds that the rightful Lord of the house has not been invited in, and that the house is empty, he goeth and taketh seven other spirits, and they enter and take possession. Why is the last state said to be worse than the first? In the first, he was possessed of only one demon, now of eight. The demon was cast out in the first case. Now it is likely he will hold undisputed sway while life shall last. What does our Lord mean by saying that so should it be to that wicked generation? He said this because that it exactly touched their case. His work was to cast out devils. He did this for an immense number, the most of whom were only anxious to rid themselves of demoniacal possession, and not at all interested to have the Spirit of God dwell in their hearts. Neglecting this most important matter, they were simply like so many empty houses into which Satan would return with stronger force than before, and never again be dispossessed. Who is the strong man armed? Satan. Who is the stronger than he? Christ. When shall Christ deprive Satan of his goods? Matthew says (chap. xii, 29,) that it is after he binds him. When shall he bind him? At the resurrection of the just. Rev. xx. What did the Pharisees say of the work which Christ was then doing? That he expelled demons by the prince of demons. How did Christ answer this? That if this were the case, then Satan was tearing down his own kingdom. He gave them their choice, either to say that the casting out of demons was a Satanic work, in which case the fact that the disciples of the Pharisees, who were his adversaries on this occasion, claimed to do, this very thing would condemn them; for if they did do it, they did it with the approval of the Pharisees who were therefore in league with the Devil; and if they did not do it, then they were all deceived themselves, on their own showing; or, they could take the other position, and admit that Christ did this with the finger of God, in which case the kingdom of God is come upon you. That is to say, the King of that future glorious dominion, was in their midst, exercising his mighty power. One solemn admonition should be drawn from this portion of Scripture. It is an easy thing to make a fatal mistake. When our Lord cast out the unclean spirit, then the man should have invited in that divine Redeemer and Deliverer. Not to do it left him exposed to the return of the angel of Satan with stronger force, probably never again to relinquish their hold upon the man. When the great Physician healed the people of their maladies, they should have remembered that an incurable leprosy, even sin, was eating them up alive. Alas! the most of them never thought of this. They knew Christ after the flesh, and cared for no more intimate or sacred knowledge of him. And how many, even of ourselves, are contented with a knowledge of the truth without ever feeling its saving power in our hearts.