Scripture Daily

Context No. 3597 of 4322 · Luke

Context · Reflection

Luke 11:21-26: in context

21“When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe. 22But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides his plunder. 23“He who is not with me is against me. He who doesn’t gather with me scatters. 24The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will turn back to my house from which I came out.’ 25When he returns, he finds it swept and put in order. 26Then he goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

Jesus uses two images. First, a strong man fully armed guards his house until one stronger overcomes him, disarms him, and divides his spoil, a picture of Christ, the stronger one, overcoming the evil powers that held people captive. And then a warning: when an unclean spirit leaves a person, it wanders through dry places, then returns to find the house swept and put in order, but empty.

So it brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and the person's last state is worse than the first. The warning is about mere emptiness. It is not enough to be cleansed of an old evil; the house must be filled with something better, with Christ himself. A life merely reformed, cleaned up but left vacant, is open to worse than before. Getting rid of a bad habit or sin is only half the work; the empty space must be filled with the presence of God, or the old evil, or something worse, comes back. Reformation without the indwelling Christ is never enough.

Have I not only turned from old sins but filled the emptiness with Christ himself, so that the swept house of my life is not left vacant for worse to return?

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