How can we ensure our spiritual "house" remains occupied by the Holy Spirit? Opening the Passage “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there, and the final condition of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45) The Empty House Problem • The heart is pictured as a “house.” • Cleansing alone—moral reform, good intentions—creates a tidy but empty space. • Vacancy invites re-occupation by evil; neutrality is not possible. Ensuring Full Occupancy • Enter through the only doorway: repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; John 14:23). • Welcome the indwelling Spirit at conversion (Romans 8:9). • Stay continually filled: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). • Cultivate the Spirit’s fruit, leaving no room for the flesh (Galatians 5:16-25). Practices That Keep the Spirit at Home – Daily Scripture intake: the Word dwells richly (Colossians 3:16). – Ongoing confession and quick repentance (1 John 1:9). – Prayer in the Spirit at all times (Ephesians 6:18). – Worship and thanksgiving (Psalm 22:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). – Fellowship with committed believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). – Active service using spiritual gifts (1 Peter 4:10-11). – Guarding eye, ear, and thought gates (Proverbs 4:23; 2 Corinthians 10:5). Resisting Re-Entry of Darkness • Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). • Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7). • Renounce footholds—bitterness, unforgiveness, occult ties (Ephesians 4:27, 31-32). • Stand in Christ’s authority; He is stronger than any intruder (Luke 11:21-22). Key Scriptural Reinforcements • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20—“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…?” • Romans 12:2—“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” • John 15:4—“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you.” • 2 Timothy 1:14—“Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit.” Takeaway Keeping the spiritual house occupied is not complicated: invite the Spirit in through faith, keep every room open to His rule, and fill the space daily with His Word, worship, and obedient living. An inhabited house is a protected house. |
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