If Christ is not present in a person, will then other spirits come in? (Matthew 12:43-45)

Question:

Please explanation to the passage from Matthew 12:43-45. I want to know what it means by saying “I will return in my house, from which I came.” If Christ is not present in a person, will then other spirits come in?

Before I give and answer I want to post the biblical passage that we refer too:

“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” ( Matthew 12:43-45 )

This text doesn’t say that if Christ doesn’t live in a person then other unclean spirits come to live there. That way we will have to believe that all non-Christians are possessed by unclean spirits, but its not like that.

To understand this passage we will have to understand better to whom it was addressed. In the first part of chapter 12 of Matthew we have an example where Jesus Christ healed a deaf and blind man that was possessed by unclean spirits.

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them,“ Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:22-32)

Even though the Pharisees saw this big miracle, they blasphemed against the Holy Spirit because they attributed to Beelzebul, the lord of demons, the miracle made by Jesus Christ. After Jesus rebuked them and told them about how serious their sin was….

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; (Matthew 12:38-39)

The evil and adulterous generations are the pharisees and the scribes even though they saw the miracle they attributed it to the lord of demons. That’s why Jesus Christ told them that they may end up being possessed by unclean spirits from the moment that they in a deceitful way refuse the power and the work of the Holy Spirit that they saw in full action.

Translated by: Lilia Crilov