UNCLEAN SPIRITS HAVE NO PLACE IN LIFE OF BELIEVER. Luke 11

Our armour is important, for the Lord Jesus said, ‘When a strong man, armed, guards his own palace, his goods are at peace,’(v21) Immediately, we shall consider our armour as God has equipped us. Ephesians 6 reads, ‘Our armour should strengthen us in the Lord and in the ;power of His might.’ He is our strength. ‘Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places,’ including unclean spirits. Of ourselves, we are too frail.

We dare not relax with any protective covering, ‘WE are to take the whole armour of God.’ If our loins must be equipped with truth, as they cover our reproductive and excretory organs, our sexual lives must be guarded, lest an unclean spirit of lust possess us. Many of God’s children fall into evil in this area.

‘Righteousness , in thinking, activity and living should be our breastplate. Our heart must beat for God and our lungs inhale heavenly air. God’s Word is clear to the elementary student of biology. Our ’shoes ought to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.’ We must head for godly fellowship not for the ungodly haunts that are unclean; and will leave mud on our soul.

Our faith must be strong, for ’The shield of faith will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, the captain of the unclean hosts.’ How is your protective shield of faith? Our minds should overflow with godliness, not be cluttered with ’unclean’ thoughts, ’as we take the helmet of salvation.’

Daily study of God’s word and the assimilation of its truth is ’The sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.’ (vv 10-17) Careless drifting from the regular intake of God’s word allows unclean spirits to take over our lives.

‘Every form of prayer and supplication with all perseverance for all saints must control our lives. If we are cold or listless in our prayer, then evil forces sweep in to direct our days. Perhaps the absence of meaningful prayer explains the coldness and ineffectual lives of many of God’s chosen ones.

One further piece of equipment is witnessing to others, as Paul expressed it ‘that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.’ For this Paul was an ambassador in chains.’ Does the lack of personal witnessing allow many unclean spirits to enter into and control our lives.?

This brief explanation amplifies the phrase, ‘ a strong man armed.’’ Do you have personal deficiencies or irregularities in these areas? A deficiency of vitamin B1 will generate beri-beri, a common disease during my time in South East Asia, while deficiency in Vitamin B12 will lead to pernicious anaemia, which responds so remarkably to injections of this substance. I grieved as our revered pastor suffered advanced pernicious anaemia prior to the discovery of vitamin B12. His degenerated nervous system made it impossible for him to walk on the heavy sand.

How is your armour? Is it dented? Are some parts missing? Some parts not working? Some parts rusty? Some grubby? T deserves a thorough examination.! Why? ‘The strong man, fully and adequately armed guards his own palace. He protects his chastity, purity, wholesomeness, holiness. Truly, his goods are at peace.

Then the terrible battle followed. ‘But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all the armour, in which he trusted, and divided his spoils.’ (v22 ) This intense struggle focuses on the state of the armour. Who but satan or his fallen angels would dent or weaken the armour? Sadly, a powerful being comes on the person, and overcomes him. Should not the christian life be a victorious one, regardless of the antagonists. Correct: but we wrestle against more than flesh and blood. Principalities and powers - ugly, devilish ones.

This villainous overcomer robs the armour from the child of the King, in which he rightly trusted. Consider the degenerating process.

Refusing the comforting Presence of our Lord, we become frail ; and not strong in the Lord. Our defence crumbled with pressure.

We passively submit to every enticement of the evil one, having lost the appetite for wrestling. He easily pins our shoulders to the mat, the referee tapping us in defeat.

We carelessly forget the entire armour of God; rendering us incapable of standing in the evil day. And are knocked of balance, rather than standing. The demon of pride insists ‘we are quite capable of doing this, without desperately needing our Lord.’ ’No trouble at all, mate, ‘is a common Australian nonchalant, greeting.

We have forgotten to cover our loins, the reproductive and excretory areas of life, and have lapsed into immoral practices. ’Everyone is doing it’ is a lie from pit of hell. Daily we hear of sweet girls leaving home to live - outside of the Father’s holy blessing- with their ill-chsen partner. Oh, what grief for parents and our heavenly Lord . No breastplate of righteousness covers us when our chest is bare. Our heart, from which come the issues of life, is unprotected. Truly the ’heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked.’ ( Jeremiah 17:9 ) We can no longer breathe the pure air of heaven, our spiritual lungs are collapsed. The armour has dangled.

When we stop witnessing, so characteristic of the early church, our ’feet are no longer shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.’ Sadly, our lips are silent,

The enemy has buckled the ’shield of faith’ as we are exposed to all the fiery darts of the wicked one. They penetrate, scorching, wounding, scarring us. Tragically, the Lord Jesus’ perfect armour is for our good. We have messed things. Vital organs, must be protected.