THE ACTIVITY OF AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT DESCRIBED
Matt. 12:43-45
Morning Meditation 9/19/2012
Verse 43-45 says, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from 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 wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
A lot of attention is being given to the spirit world today. Films are being made about angels where the TV industry is simply feeding the curiosity and superstition of the world in order to make money. God does send His angels as ministering spirits to minister to believers (See Heb. 1:14). But these ministering spirits (God’s holy angels) would never do or say the things as the TV industry portrays. Just remember this. TV is not interested in truth. They are interested in their god, i.e., money.
There are also fallen angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and are now called demons (Rev. 12:4; Luke 10:18; Isa.14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19). Jesus describes the activity of one of them in this passage. This answers many of the questions we may have about demons. I want us to look first of all at,
THE NATURE OF THE DEMON STATED
Our text says, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man . . .” This verse begins in the Greek text, “Moreover when.” Jesus is describing a real happening. He names no one but when He gives a parable it is usually stated. I believe Jesus was telling His hearers what happens in a lot of cases. Then he calls the spirit an “unclean spirit.” The word “unclean” translates “akathartos” and means, “unclean in a moral sense: unclean in thought and life.” This word describes the moral impurity that makes one repulsive to God and unfit to worship and serve Him. The blood of Jesus cleanses from this moral impurity and restores the repentant believer to the place of fellowship (1 John 1:9). The blood of Christ will also cleanse the unsaved person, deliver him from the power of darkness, and translate him into the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13-14).
There are among the host of fallen spirits many who are identified as “unclean spirits.” The word “unclean” is found 30 times in the New Testament and of that number it is translated “foul” twice. The phrase “unclean spirit” is found 20 times. Jesus gave the Apostles power to cast out unclean spirits. Matthew 10:1 says, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” Moral impurity is associated with “unclean spirits” and is mentioned along with physical illnesses. Man’s fallen nature makes him vulnerable to demonic activity if not a helpless victim (yet completely accountable). All the pornography, sex sins and the playboy scene are infested with unclean spirits. Next we see in our text,
THE OBJECT SOUGHT
Our text says, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none.” The words “is gone out” translate “exerchomai” and means, “to go forth with the mention of the place out of which one goes, or the point from which he departs.” It is an aorist active subjunctive verb. The aorist tense speaks of the point of departure and the active voice suggests that the unclean made the decision to depart (was not cast out). The subjunctive mood also suggests the possibility of the unclean spirit making decisions like this. The word “seeking” means “to seek in order to find.” It is a present active participle which means that the unclean spirit was continually seeking rest. The word “rest” translates “anapausis” and means, “intermission, cessation of any motion, business or labor.” This implies he was tired.
Now let me give you something that is strictly an opinion, even though I believe that it is suggested here. The unclean spirit seems to have a choice about coming and going at will. He is tired and wants rest. When he returns and finds the house (the man’s body) swept and garnished, it indicates that the man may have had moral scruples and therefore resisted the unclean spirit who worked in the attempt to make the man morally impure. The unclean spirit could not accomplish this apart from the man’s will. Unsaved people have a relative righteousness. It makes a lost man a good husband and neighbor. It is better if an unsaved man is a good husband, father and neighbor. This is always self righteousness and amounts to filthy rags if offered to God as a means of acceptance before Him (Isa. 64:6). But it does make him better to live with.
An unclean spirit’s activity in the unsaved man would be to make him more vile, wicked, and unclean in a moral sense. Look at the degeneration of our society. One of the most vile unclean acts which is classified as an abomination to God (Lev. 20:13) is homosexuality. Yet this sin is invading the church and pulpit in many denominations and being accepted and morally acceptable. There is only one way to understand how a man can quote Scripture and try to justify this human degrading and God defying sin. It is to realize that God has given them over to what is described in Romans chapter one as a “reprobate mind” (Rom. 1:28). They, and those who take up for them, are in such spiritual darkness that what the Bible says cannot penetrate their understanding. Isaiah 5:20-21 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Then next we see,
THE DISCOVERY THAT THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT MADE
He found the house “empty, swept, and garnished.” The word “empty” translates “scholazo” and means, “unoccupied,” and is a present active participle, i.e., referring to a continual condition. This means that the man was not inhabited by the Holy Spirit. This describes a good moral man or a good religious man who is not born again. The word “swept” translates “saroo” and means, “to sweep or clean by sweeping.” This verb form is a perfect passive participle. The perfect tense is completed action in the past with that completed action representing the way it is in the present. The passive voice means that the subject (the house) was acted on by the man (self cleansing). The unclean spirit discovered that the man had definitely improved morally since he had moved out. The word “garnished” translates “kosmeo” and means, “to put in order, arrange, make ready, prepare, to ornament, to adorn.” This is also a perfect passive participle. Evidently Jesus is saying that the man cleaned up his life after the unclean spirit left and adorned it with human righteousness. Then the next thing we see is,
THE SOLICITATION FOR HELP
Then our text says, after he had seen the moral improvements in the man, “Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there . . .” The word “taketh” translates “paralambano” and means, “to take to, to take with one's self, to join to one's self, an associate, a companion.” Evidently this man had resisted the unclean spirits efforts originally. This suggest the tiredness implied by the “seeking rest.” So he already knows that this is not going to be an easy job. So he solicits help from seven others “more wicked than himself” and obtains the help. We see here that there is conversation and planning in the demonic world. When I read the Psalms, David’s enemies illustrate to me my enemies in the demonic world, and his prayers against his enemies, become my prayers against Satan and his kingdom. We are in a spiritual conflict, and if we don’t recognize it, it is not because we are not told in Scripture. The words “more wicked” translate “poneroteros”and means, “more evil.” So there are degrees of wickedness in the realm of demons. The words “they enter in” translate “eiserchomai” and means, “to go out or come in: to enter as in a house or city.” It is used of Satan taking possession of the body of a person” It is an aorist active participle suggesting both the point of time when they entered and their permanent intent. They entered to stay until they mastered the man. The word “dwell” translates “katoikeo” and means “to settle in, to live, or to inhabit.”It is a present tense which speaks of continuous action in the present. Then next we see,
THE RESULTS OBTAINED
Our text says, “The last state of that man is worse than the first . . ..” The word “worse” is a comparative statement. The implication is that the first state was bad enough. The man had unclean and defiling sins possibly no one knew about. But he knew. He probably had some moral values that made him resist the unclean spirit and make his work hard. The unclean spirit finally left and decided to try it somewhere else. But he found no satisfying place to do his unclean work. He returns to the man and sees immediately that the man had improved in morality since he had gone. He knew that this was not going to be an easy job. So he solicits help and obtains it. Jesus says that they were successful. The last state of that man is worse than the first. Evidently this man became much more deeply involved in immorality and possibly became more bold so that “he came out of the closet.”
There is only one answer for the unclean spirits that are in the world. It is salvation by grace alone, through Christ alone, by faith alone. Then to stay filled with the Holy Spirit. When this happens the unclean spirits have to leave. If they should even come back the house which they had to leave when salvation took place, it would not be empty, but God would be living there, and His Spirit will be filling the place. Amen.
This is how Jesus describes the activity of unclean spirits. May God bless this truth for our spiritual growth.
