3640—The House Swept and Garnished
By M.
What is the meaning of the unclean spirit and the house swept and garnished? What house is this—the body? The passage in question is found in Matthew 12: "But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation." The parable is true of the individual; it is true of a church. When an individual is cleansed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the evil spirit cast out, that is but the beginning of Christianity. If he utterly neglects and refuses to do the work God has for him to do, to let the indwelling Spirit of Christ into his heart for service, even tho the house of his character has been swept and garnished, the evil spirits will come in. Thousands have started out in the Christian life, have received forgiveness of sins, but have shut themselves up to their own selfishness, and in a little while the power of the devil has come into their lives, and they have become worse than ever before. This is true of a church. It may once have known God's life and power in cleansing; but it may so shut itself up to its own selfishness and self-righteousness, so refuse to go forward and do the work that God gives it to do, that it remains an empty shell, so far as spirituality is concerned, and by its very attitude and condition invites the possession of the devil. Even so it was with the Pharisees. In further answer to questions, we would say that men do have control of their own mind, independent of spirits, good or bad. God has given to man his own individuality, and yet it is almost invariably true that men are influenced by spirits good or bad continually. When man is not so influenced, he is in more or less perplexity as to which influence he shall follow. God has given His host of mighty angels to be ministers to those who will serve Him. Satan is using his host of evil angels in endeavoring to turn men away from God, and to give themselves to wickedness and sin. Not until man yields wholly to Satan, and wholly rejects God's goodness and favor, do demons come into possession of the human soul. Man of himself has power to resist the possession of the devil, unless he has so yielded himself that he loses the power of will. One of the great curses of hypnotism lies in the subjection of the will to the will of another, creature to creature, until the victim loses the power to resist. God would not have the will of man in subjection to that of any other creature. In subjection to Him, we do not lose reason, and the will is made stronger. Endeavoring to walk in our own independence, we are subject to whims and influences of the source of which we know little. Wholly yielded to Satan, men become insane, possessed of demons.