Luke 11

Scripture

Luke 11: 24-26

When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.

 

Observation

Jesus just gets finished teaching the disciples the Lord’s Prayer and then he continues on to another village where He performs a miracle. He drives a mute impure spirit out of a man, to which the crowd responds contrary to what He expects or desires. Jesus then tells the crowd of people there this.

 

Understanding

Always be on your guard.

For some reason, I always skipped over this section of Luke chapter eleven because it scared me (which is why I don’t read Revelation often either, if I am being honest). Believe it or not this time I think I got a valuable lesson out of the scary bit I would skip over. I don’t think that Jesus tells these people this reality to scare them, but rather to warn them to always been their guard. The enemy loves to steal what the Lord has made whole, and he rests at nothing to do so. It sounds extremely foreboding, trust me I know, but the minute we let our guard down the enemy strikes. If he doesn’t succeed the first time either, he goes back for reinforcements as Jesus so joyously points out. To make matters even worse, I know for a fact that the enemy is attempting to strike us right now when we feel vulnerable. He strikes in ways that we least expect, he leaves us captive to ourselves with a seemingly impossible escape. He intensifies a spirit of apathy, rather than one of hunger and devotion. He always lurks, and he never rests.

But our God never rests or ceases fire either. As I read this passage today I was struck with that reality. Jesus drove out many impure spirits when He walked the earth, but more than that He empowered others to do the same. The enemy may come at one point in my life and “see the house clean and swept,” and he can go back for reinforcements all he want because I will too. Here’s what I am driving at: we are in a battle that is already won! Right now it is so easy to get caught up with the world and this overwhelming feeling of “What’s the point?” (as a best friend of mine put it), but all we have to do is put up our guard because Jesus does the fighting for us. We can’t give in right now or ever because too often we let the enemy win. But not anymore! It is time to fight back, no more waiting and complaining at home during quarantine. Let’s be people on our face in prayer contending for our world that is confused and scared. Let’s come out of this stronger than when it started.

 

Life Application

Keep up your guard, but remember to look around the ring.

We have to remember who is on our side and who is fighting against us, so familiarize yourself with your team. In other words, spend time in the word of God and understanding who He is, but also don’t neglect your brothers and sisters in Christ either. Let’s encourage one another, rather than cutting off communication from each other. We may be in separate houses, but that does mean that communication has to cease either. And when you feel discouraged and feel the enemy knocking on the door of your house remember:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

-Allison Khan