Matthew 12:43-44
43But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any.
Unclean spirits are evil – the bad fruit of Galatians 19, and other strongholds of sin that have tormented and separated us from the Father. When we give our lives to Jesus through repentance, remittance and confession in earnest, we release the Holy Spirit to begin making us new in Jesus Christ. There's literally "reconstruction and renovation" taking place in your soul. This process never ends. The foundation and the walls in the old building, the old you are torn down. All the residue, the mildew and old occupants of that building that added no value to your life are thrown out. But the scriptures clearly tell us that when these demons – yes demons – are evicted from that building, they roam around looking for a place of rest.
44Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated.
When it cannot find that place of rest, IT COMES BACK to the original homeowner and tries to get back in. As believers, we really need to understand what this means. I had a serious addiction when I was in the world. The Lord freed me from it, and then – under the influence of a couple of friends – I decided doing this thing one more time wouldn't hurt, especially since I was already saved. When I did that thing, I "LITERALLY" gave the spirit that had been cast out of my life permission to come right back in… and it did with a fierceness. I was more out of control THEN, than I was when I was unsaved.
45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation.
What's worse is that the demon brought friends. So now I had my original stronghold to deal with, plus SEVEN other STRONGER AND MORE WICKED strongholds that were hell-bent on seeing me walk away from the Lord and consumed completely by my addiction. They had made their home in me.
Now, have you ever seen people who show up at the altar for the same thing every week? Have you met people who are always calling you for prayer and it's the same issue? Please, please think about this. Leaders, we have to really ask God if we should pray. I don't pray for repeaters anymore unless I know the Lord is calling me to do so.
You see, what happens is this. When I pray for people I know the Lord moves. When demons are cast out, they are GONE. I want to encourage you to visualize those spirits going inside those pigs when Jesus cast them out. YES! This is what happens with us when we are set free. The demons actually LEAVE and go somewhere else.
Now, this isn't an arrogant statement I'm making. I'm saying this because those "repeaters" know that they were set free before; and they will come back to the people they know who can help them again. As you read this, don't lock the demons into only the spirit of addiction, lust or such. This applies to everything from depression, discouragement, the spirit of offense, anger, rage, frustration, and other demonic strongholds.
What these repeaters and others don't understand is this: The first time you were made free of that stronghold, it left. When someone reverted (or sinned again), that stronghold came back with seven badder demons. Now you have EIGHT demons living in that space instead of the one. The reason why people can't cast out their own strongholds is because of their UNCLEAN LIFE and the demon possession within. So, the repeater runs back to the altar to be delivered for the same thing, plus the mess the other EIGHT brought. They are set free. Then, the repeater opens the door again and now each of those EIGHT demons has brought SEVEN MORE WITH THEM. You do the math. Each demon now has EIGHT friends each.
This is why we must learn to resist the devil! This is why must seek to understand holiness and the fear of the Lord. Now, when these repeaters come back for healing they are MESSED UP! True people of God can discern these patterns on your life and will sometimes REFUSE to pray with you because they KNOW that you are going to go right back into the vomit from which you came. As a result, you'd be in a worse position than even the one before.
The last part of this scripture says, "So also shall it be with this wicked generation." In other words, this is what is happening today among believers. It's not the sinners we have to worry about because they aren't the ones running up and down the altar of prayer wanting to be free. The problem is getting believers to become DISCIPLES OF JESUS and to resist their own SELFISH FLESH so that God can use them to GO GET THE SINNER.
As a prophet, I am ANGRY at the people of God for GIVING SATAN this license to KEEP THEM IN AN IMMATURE STATE. They fail to realize that they are being SET UP to make a mockery of the Gospel and the message of Jesus Christ. You see, it's not enough to profess His name, do His work and look the part. You can do all those things, but if you don't live the life in Christ you are a LIAR. Liars are not just people who speak lives; but also those who are hypocrites.
How dare you present one version of yourself to me; and another to your co-worker. These DEMONS are not PLAYING WITH YOU. They will even convince you that the people who are speaking the truth "are too hard" or that they "are not sensitive enough to how you FEEL" and a whole bunch of other lies. I want to be around IRON so I can be sharpened and kept alert; not around people who will place pacifiers in my mouth and allow me to stay where I am… comfortable and feeling justified in my flesh.
I pray that you desire this as well.
The sin among the people of the Lord is being exposed, just as it was being exposed in the Hebrew scriptures and in the times of the apostles. The Lord is calling His prophets to warn the people that the destroying angel has been loosed, that the scroll that Zechariah spoke of has been released in the earth and that judgment has come to HOUSE OF GOD. He is beginning in the sanctuary. Read Ezekiel 7-9 and for those who need this in the New Testament check out Matthew 24.
The laborers are few BECAUSE the people of God won't get FREE. If they get free, then the passion to do the work of the ministry will consume them INSTEAD of their sin. There will be PEOPLE who love Jesus who walk in power, and can obtain a harvest in His Name.
