No turning back

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

NO TURNING BACK

Matt 12:43-45

43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." 

NIV

Jesus continues with this conclusion of his retort or response to the charge the Pharisees had made about him curing the blind and mute man by the power of Satan. Here is confronts the very hearts of those who accuse him. It is certainly confirmed that Jesus drives out demons. It also confirms the Pharisees and teachers of the law did not have the Spirit of God in them. When Jesus is encountered, the demons must flee. The demons cannot occupy a house that is occupied by the Spirit of God. Jesus was explaining to them when demons are called out of a person they roam around without rest, they are not meant to be alone on their own, they seek a place to rest and that place is only within the soul of a person. Demons are not satisfied unless they occupy the soul of a person. So having been swept clean the soul is then empty, so to speak. This is the most vulnerable time in a person’s life.  A choice has to be made, to accept Jesus into the heart, or remain empty. Remaining empty only brings one to the place where not only one demon, but multiple demons come to occupy that person. Therefor after encountering Jesus, and refusing to accept him into their heart, they are going to be far worse off than before. We can be thankful we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us thus we have no concern about any demon taking possession of our faculties. However, that does not mean we are without sin. It is not necessary to be possessed by a demon to commit sin. God has told us that our hearts are deceitfully wicked. We can, all by ourselves, commit attitudes and acts of sin. This does not mean we have a demon, but that we fail in our commitment to the Lord. He is there with us, in us, yet we fall short of being perfect. That is not our desire, but it simply happens because there is a war that wages within. Just as the Apostle Paul, we too do that which we wish we did not do and do not do that which we what to do.

Rom 7:14-25

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do , I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do ; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do , it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

NIV

This is the complete argument we each must face on a daily basis, however just as the Apostle Paul, we are not occupied or under the influence of demons. However those who are occupied by them, are the wicked generation who live against God. When people are so vehemently opposed to the idea of God, refusing to acknowledge he is real, they certainly are influenced by demonic powers. Whether they are demon possessed, it is not for us to say, although through the power of the gift of discernment, we should be able to detect the presence of a demon. What Jesus was telling the Pharisees was they once had the presence of God with them, as a nation, but they have rejected the truth of God, Jesus and thus they will be worse off than before. If they who once knew God, now reject him for their own brand of religion, even if it is based on the law of God, which has been perverted by their evil hearts, their lives are far worse than they ever were. This should give us pause to consider we need to be ever faithful to our Lord. To never return to our former way of thinking, to never clean our heart of his presence. This would imply it is possible for a person who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior to kick him out, turn back to the former life. This is more then simply back-sliding, to use a Christianese term. This is complete rejection of Christ. In doing this a person will be overpowered by the forces of evil and may never be able to survive the onslaught. Death is emanate. As the song writer penned this words, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back. So it is with us. No turning back.