Luke 11:24-26 (New International Version)
"When an evil
spirit comes out of a man, 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 man is worse than the first."
What happens when a believer in Christ willingly turns from following Satan and is no more housing a walking den of demons in him or herself? He has renounced every evil and unclean works of the Devil and have turn away from sin. He is clean and house put in order now.
What made the devil or demon to decide full occupation of the house again that was left clean and put in order? The house cleansed(swept clean) by the blood of Jesus Christ and put in order by the Holy Spirit needed someone to occupy.The Devil saw that the believer did not know who should occupy that house that was cleaned and put in order!
The Holy Spirit in him or her must have witnessed to them that the house is to be occupied with Christ being fully formed in them.There was no obedience on their part to the voice of the Holy Spirit.Christformation in us requires a price to be paid by us.We will need to pay a price for Christ to be formed in us.
Luke 9:23-25 (New International Version)
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Salvation is free in Christ through His perfect work of sacrifice on the cross at Calvary if we believe in Him. Christformation in you follows with the full help of the Holy Spirit promised to you and me. In order for any of God's promises to come to pass in our lives there is a basic need for faith and obedience on our part to the Holy Spirit's leading.Faith plus obedience equals to God's promise fulfilled in our lives.Many want to believe in His free salvation in Christ but do not want to pay a price for full Christformation( full-occupation of Christ in them)in themselves. So,
The Devil comes and brings in full occupation of himself in that 'house' cleaned and put in order.
The price we would have to pay for Christformation in us is 'deny ourselves'.Deny ourselves of pleasing the sinful nature and willingly put to death all the pleasures it may be seeking in us.In this way the nature of Satan in us will be voluntarily put to death in us and we will be sowing to the divine nature of Christ in us.The divine nature of Christ must fully be formed in us in that 'house cleaned and put in order' by the Holy Spirit.With full Christformation in us we be holy as He is Holy.
Galatians 6:7-8 (New International Version)
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that naturewill reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
There is a price to pay for Christformation in you on your part with faith and obedience to the Holy Spirit,our gentle Helper in us.We have to take up our cross daily and follow Christ fully for Christ to be fully formed in you.The work of sowing and reaping is a persevering task.You will need to persevere through till the end till you see the full fruit formed to please the Owner of the garden.
Romans 5:1-5 (New International Version)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we
rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we
also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Believers are willing to believe in the saving works of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and rejoice in it but are not willing to rejoice in the sufferings of carrying their cross daily by denying themselves of the pleasures of sinful nature,the nature of the devil(Satan )in them.They would want to continue in them.This will work to their own destruction.The 'house that is cleaned and and put in order ' will become the den of demons which God will have to destroy.
Allow Christ to be formed in you fully with the Help of the Holy Spirit. Continue in it faithfully even if you have to lose your own life.You will gain Christ fully in the end.That is eternal life with the fulness of Christ in you-the mystery of God in you.
Posted by Ronaldkp