24 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. 25And
when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 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 11:24-26 (KJV)
Keeping our homes clean is always a challenge.
No matter how many people live in the house it remains an ongoing chore
to keep it clean and in order. I know this
is true because I have cleaned bathrooms many times,
mopped a number of floors, and washed a veritable truckload of dishes. I have noticed over the years two extremes in this area.
One is those who have given up. Apparently, they have come to
believe that keeping a clean house is too much trouble, so they simply
do not try. The result is a house so filled with clutter that
the occupants barely have a place to sit down. The other extreme
are those who become obsessed with a clean house to the point that they
cannot enjoy their home for fear of getting it dirty. Neither
scenario is desirable.
Jesus likened our lives to striving to keep
a house in order. He spoke of those who work diligently to clean
their houses by sweeping them, ridding them of clutter, and making sure
everything is in its place. We too can do this with our lives
by getting ourselves going the right direction, working hard at our
jobs, and living lives of honesty and integrity. Yet, Jesus indicated
that there is a potential problem. If the clean and well-ordered
space of our lives is uninhabited, then something undesirable is liable
to come along and fill it. The Lord spoke in stark language of
demonic forces looking for just such an empty place to come and inhabit.
When this occurs, the house, or a person’s life, is worse than the
condition it was before.
Many people think that ridding their lives
of bad habits and undesirable attitudes is enough. While getting
rid of these negative elements is positive, simply removing them from
our lives is not sufficient. Faith in Christ assures that the Spirit
of the Living God occupies our lives. If the Holy Spirit
fills my life, then the dark forces of the world cannot gain entrance.
The Holy Spirit is able to defend the house and keep away those evil
powers. They may stand outside and try to create trouble, but
they cannot enter.
Failure to fill our lives with the Holy Spirit
of God is to be vulnerable to the devil’s attacks. Make sure
that when we clean house that we are then filled with the presence of
God, which comes through faith in Christ. The Lord is willing
to come into our lives and empower us, arm us for spiritual battles, and give us strength
to daily walk in faith.
So, what is the condition of your house?
Is the Holy Spirit residing there? Make sure that Jesus Christ
is Lord of your life.
