Seven Bad Men

I`ve been down some bad roads in my life. I`ve been in some dangerous places. Many of the men I once knew are featured on episodes of “Gangland.” I`m a trained fighter—a second degree black belt—and I used to love to fight, but contrary to Hollywood`s portrayal of fighting, no one can take on seven bad men.

In Luke 11 verses 25-26 Jesus warns us about the seven bad men—seven evil spirits. He speaks about the fact that we must prepare for the enemy and his attacks once we have committed our way to the Lord:

“25 And when it comes, it (an evil spirit) finds it swept and put in order (our spiritual condition). 26 Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Luke 11:25-26, NASB).

I can relate this to a multitude of situations, as could you, I`m sure. Let me give an example from my own life. When I came to Christ in May of 2012, I was a new man. I was filled with His Holy Spirit and felt alive again. Soon after, I began to allow some of the “old ways” back into my daily routine. Little by little, I relaxed my guard, and soon—just as our Lord tells us in Luke 11—the seven evil spirits came and I was once again in a hell of a mess.

This is as simple as bad language or something as complicated and dangerous as porn, drugs, and alcohol. Once we have been set free from the bondage of our past—If we chose to return to these things—we will meet the seven bad men!

I still like to believe I`m a tough guy (laughing). I`ve learned one thing from God’s word—I can do nothing of myself. I used to think I was so “Spirit filled” that I could take on Satan himself—wrong! God plainly tells us how we gain our strength to fight the seven bad men in James 4 verse 7: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (NASB).  He does not say: “Resist the devil and he will flee,” which is what most of us (including me) think the word says; instead, God says first you must “Submit yourself to God,” then resist the devil and he will flee. We cannot fight these seven bad men—these evil spirits or familiar spirits—on our own power.

For 25 years, I attended Alcoholics Anonymous (and still do from time to time). I was taught in that 12 step program to submit myself in prayer every day. I never did follow those directions (laughing)—today, I take it very seriously.