Haunted Houses

Prelude

After reading Matthew 12:43-45 it come to me that the church in general does not believe in the spiritual warfare in the sense of a ragging battle that is going on around them. Even though the Bible continually warns us of the devices of Satan and the power that his army of demons have, we choose to ignore the warnings.

Because Halloween is approaching, I believe that in is necessary to address the subject of haunted houses.

We live in an age, where a lot of Christians do not really believe in the activities of the spiritual world. Demonic possession is a Hollywood thing only seen on the big screen.

I can see the wheels turning in your minds right now and some of you are saying, do you really believe in that stuff?

Yes, I do and that is why I have titled the message this morning Haunted Houses.

The Bible tells us that there is a war-taking place all around us. It is a spiritual war that is unseen by human eyes. The war is between God and that fallen angel Lucifer and this battle is over the souls of mankind. The Bible tells us of demons, evil spirits, which interact and affect our physical world.

Scripture

When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

44Then 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.

45Then 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. Matthew 12:43-45

Prayer

Introduction

If you would allow me, tell me read again Matthew 12:43-45 in a different translation called God’s Word.

When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest.

But it doesn’t find any.

44Then it says, I’ll go back to the home I left. When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order.

45Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself.

They enter and take up permanent residence there.

In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before.

That is what will happen to the evil people of this day. Matthew 12:43-45 (GW)

The Unclean Spirit (verse 43)

When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

What is an unclean spirit? It is nothing more than a fallen angel, a demon, one of Satan’s many servants.

Everything that an unclean spirit does is totally against God.

Their leader, Satan despises anything and everything that is for or stands for God.

For a demon to live here on plant earth they must inhabit a dwelling place. That is to say a soul, whether it be human or even an animal.

Your soul is a house of inhabitance. A place where your spirit dwells and other spirits can dwell.

If you do not admit that your are a sinner, believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God, and confess your sins to him, then you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a candidate for visit from a demonic spirit.

The Man (verse 43)

When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

A man is referring to mankind, that which God had made in his image. Genesis 1:26a says; Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…

God made us and he designed us to inhabit spirits.

Our own spirit plus the Holy Spirit or a demonic spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says; Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

God gave us the choice of which spirit would we serve. We cannot have both spirits dwelling in the house we call our body. Our house holds our kind of spirit and one other kind.

That is to say that you either have the Holy Spirit dwelling in your house or the Unholy Spirit, or Unholy Spirits dwelling in your house!

We have to make a choice.

You see our house has a door and that door can only be opened from the inside. No spirit can come in unless you open that door.