'But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it (the unclean spirit) then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, so that the man ends up by being worse than he was before.’
Lk.11:26
Jesus is teaching on spiritual warfare after having been crticised for casting out a devil. He has just explained how he who is the stronger and best armed is the victor. He now explains that having a spiritually clean interior is not enough. The interior needs to be home to something, the only question is will it be good or evil?
My interior man gets regularly swept and cleaned through the sacrament of Confession, but what do I then fill it with? If it remains clean but empty I am open to being reoccupied by the demon I expelled plus its cohorts.
The opposite spirit to what was expelled is a good thing to invite in. If it was lust, invite in purity. If it was greed, invite in restraint. If it was pride, invite in humility.
Holy Spirit of God, prompt me to invite in the opposite spirit to the one I have expelled by your power. Never let me be an empty home but filled with Your holy presence, giving no room for Satan and his demons.
Little Flower, please pray for me.
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