< Matthew 12:43-50 >
“‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.’ While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.’ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers!For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.’”
It Is Because the Religionists Have Sin That Demons Dwell in Their Hearts
In today’s Scripture passage, Jesus said, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Our Lord drove out demons from the demon-possessed and healed the sick. But here is the truth that those who do know the gospel of the water and the Spirit must realize. Demons can rest and dwell in the dry places, that is, the hearts of those who have sin. Those who don’t have the Word surely have sin in their hearts. Therefore, when a demon is cast out of a demon-possessed person, he roams around dry places—that is, he roams around in the hearts of those who have not received the remission of sin—and then he returns to where he had been before, back to the heart of the sinful again, seeing that his heart still has sin and is all arranged to accommodate him.
In other words, the demon returns to and dwells in the heart of the man in whom he had entered before. Jesus also said that when this demon comes back into his house, he brings with him seven other evil spirits more wicked than himself, thus the last state of that man is worse than before.
In one of my past sermons, I had told you that some people are puzzled, asking us, “Isn’t it your duty to cast out demons from the demon-possessed? Why then do you not drive out demons?” But we need to realize here that it is completely futile for us to drive out demons from anyone who does not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. As far as those who do not believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit are concerned, casting out demons out of the demon-possessed is absolutely useless, for these demons will not only return later on, but they will also bring in even more demons, and thus the possessed will end up suffering even more.
Therefore, it is absolutely indispensable for everyone to first believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. If one comes to believe in this true gospel, he comes to receive the remission of sin, and to simultaneously receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as well. Only then will demons be no longer able to come near his heart, nor enter into him, for this heart now belongs to God the Almighty. But if people do not believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit, demons can easily enter into their hearts and turn them into their own houses.
In these days, it is a common sight to come across someone performing exorcism on TV. But demons can enter into the hearts of the sinful at any time. Wherever there is someone who has not received the remission of his sins, if a demon decides, “I will turn this man into my house,” he can easily do this. Resistance is completely futile. Satan only laughs at him, saying, “How dare you to reject me?” He then slides into his heart and torments him, commanding, “Now you shall do my bidding!”
Demons are real beings. They are the servants of Satan, and just love to dwell in the hearts of the sinful. So if the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit only cast out demons from the demon-possessed without first solving their fundamental problem of sin, it is no use whatsoever.
Just as we read in today’s Scripture passage, our Lord said that if demons are simply cast out in the name of Jesus Christ, they will return once again. When a demon, after taking someone’s heart as his own house and living in it, goes out for a short while and returns, he will bring in even more demons, and this time they will settle in this person for good. Conquered by evil spirits, this possessed man will turn insane, and unable to live as a human being, he will live in misery and futility for the rest of his life, only to die in the end.
Therefore, what we must do as the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit is not casting out demons from the demon-possessed, but it is to first preach the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit to them and enable them to be washed from their sins. Of course, this is not an easy job, and so we should gradually teach them about the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit when they are mentally stable. When we preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit to them, we need to explain it to them step by step with proper respect for them. Once the gospel Truth thus enters into their hearts, they will become God’s children, for all the demons that had tormented them before will inevitably leave them behind and the Holy Spirit will begin to work in their hearts instead. In the hearts of those who have received the remission of sin, there is peace, for the Holy Spirit dwells in them from then on.
Yet despite this, those who have not even received the remission of their sins are trying to cast out demons from the demon-possessed. Claiming to have received power, they perform all kinds of things to cast out demons, but what they do amounts to nothing else but a show.
You should realize that for everyone, as long as he has sin in his heart, it is completely useless to cast out demons from him. For you to never again be deceived by liars, you have to hold onto this knowledge of the Truth and have strong faith in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. Unless you have such faith and knowledge, you will end up being possessed by evil spirits.
Demons Go through Dry Places, Seeking Rest
In whose hearts do demons work? They work in the hearts of those who have not received the remission of their sins. Put differently, it is in those who do not have the gospel of the water and the Spirit in their hearts that demons are now working. If your hearts are occupied by demons and you want to be freed from them, believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit with your hearts. Surely, Satan will then no longer be able to rule over your souls, and the Spirit of God will instead reign in your hearts.
Do you have faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit in your hearts? If yes, the Holy Spirit dwells in your hearts now. But in all those who do not believe in this gospel, there is neither the Word of God that has remitted away their sins, nor the Holy Spirit, even though they may profess to believe in Jesus. This is the difference between those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and those who do not. The difference between those who have the Holy Spirit in their hearts and those who do not is the result of whether they believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit or not.
This is why demons are able to enter into those who don’t have the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. As evil spirits can enter into the hearts of those who have not received the remission of sin, they can take them as the instruments of their evil work. As demons are controlling the thoughts and will of sinners, we can see and hear much about the evil works that are perpetuated by demons in the people of the whole world.
I told you that my mind was possessed by a demon before. At that time, my heart had no faith in the gospel of Word of the water and the Spirit. Back then, I had known and believed in only the blood of the Cross. So through my personal sins, a demon was able to settle in my heart. He could come into me even as I rejected him. Of course, he failed to rule over me completely, but he was able to control me to a considerable extent. I drove this demon out, saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you, get out Satan!”
But what we need to realize here is that before believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, no one could be freed from Satan. One must therefore know and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Unless people receive the Holy Spirit, the Almighty One, demons will return back into the hearts of sinners. And when they return, they will bring in even more demons, and this time they will occupy their victims completely, turn them into Satan’s servants, make them do insane things, and end up ruining them totally. This is Satan’s work.
Who Is Dwelling in the Hearts of Those Who Believe in the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit?
What is so great for you and I who now believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit is that as long as this gospel is found in our hearts, we do not have to be messed around by such demonic schemes. We the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit may be insufficient in our flesh, but we are not toyed around by demons. How fortunate is this? We are indeed all extremely blessed. The difference between those who have the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit in their hearts and those who do not is that while the former do not have to be preyed upon by demons, the latter fall prey to them.
If the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit is in your hearts, then you are sinless, for the Word with which our Lord has blotted out all our sins is found in you. And because you are without sin, the Holy Spirit can come into your hearts, and you can also live in the midst of God’s love and blessings as His own children. In contrast, if the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit is not in your hearts, then there is no remission of sin, nor can you become God’s children, nor is there Holy Spirit in your hearts, but only demons. If you do not have faith in this true gospel, then you are turning yourselves into empty houses without owners that can be entered and dwelt by anyone. Demons can enter such empty houses and turn them into their own houses.
How can we then have God’s gift of the Holy Spirit in our hearts? Your hearts are vessels that can hold everything. As vessels, you may hold good things, or just as equally you may hold bad things also. But for us to put the Spirit of God in our hearts, we must first receive the remission of our sins by believing in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. We who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are vessels that can hold the Spirit of God. You need to realize here that everyone is a vessel that can hold the Spirit of God by receiving the remission of his sin. Therefore, if we want to invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts, then our hearts must have faith in the Word of the water and the Spirit.
When our Lord came to this earth and was baptized, He took upon all our sins once for all. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River for our sins, and we must believe that when He received this baptism all our sins were passed onto the head of the baptized Jesus. And our hearts must have the Word of God, which is telling us that Jesus shouldered the sins of the world, shed His blood and died on the Cross, rose from the dead, and has thereby forever saved us from all our sins. This gospel of the water and the Spirit is the powerful gospel that disables Satan from threatening us. This is why those who have the Word of the water and the Spirit in their hearts are happy, while those who do not have this Word are bound to be seized by Satan.
We see that many Christians in this world believe in Christianity only as one of the many religions of the world, and as a result, they have been captured and enslaved by demons. When demons are cast out of the demon-possessed, they sing praise in joy. But what happens when time goes by? We see that the demon-possessed end up with even more demons. Surprisingly, there are many more demon-possessed people among Christians.
We Must Realize That It Is in the Hearts of the Sinful That Demons Dwell
Therefore, we need to examine our hearts to see whether or not we really believe in the Word of the water and the Spirit, and we must all believe in this true gospel. Surely, we should have faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit in our hearts. You need to realize that it is when you do not have this faith in the gospel Truth that you can be possessed by demons. Remember that if you do not have this Word, even as you profess to believe in Jesus, sooner or later you will be captured by demons and do their bidding. You don’t want this to happen, do you? If not, then believe in the Word of the water and the Spirit.
However, for those whose hearts do not have the Word of the water and the Spirit, demons may leave them, but they will eventually come back in again. Jesus said that demons seek dry places for their dwellings. The dry places here imply the deserted hearts of sinners who don’t have the Word of God.
My fellow believers, you are safe if the Word of the water and the Spirit, the Word of the remission of sin, is found in your hearts. But if this Word is not there, demons can take your hearts as their own houses. Such demonic acts cannot be stopped. The Lord therefore said that everyone in this world would all be possessed by demons later on (Matthew 12:45). He said that everyone except the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit would be subjugated by demons.
Do you know what is spiritual? For you to be spiritual is to have faith in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. Uttering gibberish to pretend to speak in tongues is not being spiritual. Healing illnesses and speaking in tongues is not to be spiritual, but it is those who understand the Word of God, know and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, pray to the Lord whenever they need help, and live their lives for the righteousness of God that are truly spiritual people. Do you now realize this?
Do you believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit wholeheartedly? If your hearts have no faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, then you have to repent, and believe with your hearts that this gospel is the only Truth.
If you are possessed by demons, you have to do all their biddings; you’ll have to get naked if this is what they command you to do. Do you find this hard to believe? The demon-possessed cannot help but do exactly what their demons command them to do. They must do the demons’ bidding because it is the demons that are their masters. The weak cannot avoid but do what the strong command them to do. Therefore, if you do not want to be subjected to such humiliation, you must hold onto the gospel of the water and the Spirit with your hearts, and you must believe in it.
Can you see God with your eyes? God is unseen by our eyes, but anyone can still believe in Him. Even the demon-possessed believe that God is alive. But they are still possessed by demons because they do not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, even as they believe in God.
As Jesus said here in today’s Scripture passage, it is into the hearts of those who do not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that demons enter. This is why we must all believe in the Word of God. You and I must hold the gospel of the water and the Spirit in our hearts. We must hold the Word of God in our hearts, and we must always reaffirm that God has blotted out all our sins with the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Whenever Satan accuses us of our insufficiencies and torments us, we must stand firm by professing our strong faith in the Truth, saying, “The Lord has saved me through the gospel of the water and the Spirit.” We must confess that we believe that our Lord came to this earth, took upon all our sins by being baptized by John the Baptist, carried the sins of this world to the Cross, shed His blood and died on it, rose from the dead again, and is now sitting at the right hand of the throne of God the Father. And we have to rebuke Satan for his trickery whenever he tries to destroy our faith, saying, “When the Lord has saved me from all my sins, how dare you to accuse me! I command you in the name of Jesus Christ! Away from me, Satan!” We must all have this kind of faith.
No demon can enter into anyone who holds the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit in his heart. It is when you do not hold this powerful gospel in your hearts that demons can enter into your hearts. This is why we must spread the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit.
Many of you may have thought that simply casting out demons from the possessed is good in and of itself, but you must realize for sure that such an act is absolutely useless. It is completely useless to just cast out demons when they still remain unable to receive the remission of their sins, because demons will return to them at any time.
Even the possessed do not always go into seizure. Put differently, they are sane all day except when they go into seizure from time to time. Therefore, we can teach the knowledge of the gospel of the water and the Spirit to the demon-possessed while they are mentally sane. When the demon-possessed thus accept the Word of God and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, they will be finally and completely freed from their tormentors, for demons can no longer stay in the hearts of those who have been born again of the water and the Spirit, no matter how hard they might try. Moreover, Satan can never again enter into their hearts, ever again.
We have seen two truths in the Word of God. We have seen the work of demons that is actually unfolding in this age, and we have seen the powerful work of the God-given gospel. God has told us and enabled us to know how we should minister against the trickery of Satan.
It is my hope and prayer that you would all become the saints who remember the Word of God, hold onto the Word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit in the heart and believe in it, and wait upon the Lord’s return.
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