How to Fill Your Soul Before 8 Wicked Spirits Return: Luke 11:24-26
- Jivel Tousand
- Jul 29
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Let's start with reading the passage.
Luke 11:24-26 says,
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
This passage is one I’ve reviewed and referred to many times. The more God used me to pray for people to experience freedom, the more I wanted clarity about how they could stay free.
When God used me to pray for healing, I found the follow-up process much simpler. Afterward, I would reinforce what happened with the Word of God and encourage the person not to allow doubt to talk them out of what they had already received. There is no need to keep asking for what God has already provided.
Think about it this way: You’ve probably sat in a chair today. Do you need to question whether the chair exists? No.
You already have the chair.
You have access to it.
You can sit in it whenever you choose.
You don't have to keep asking for a chair that you already own.
In the same way, Jesus has already accomplished the work. The challenge is learning to stand in faith concerning what He has provided rather than allowing doubt to convince us that we don't have it.
Scripture proves this:
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24
The healing is already done. We simply need to accept it as truth. We need to hold on to it because we have it, access it, and utilize it as needed, just like the chair.
The more miracles I’ve witnessed, the more I’ve realized that, in many ways, I’m simply cheerleading people into believing what God has already made available to them. It’s like I’m standing on the sidelines cheering:
"God did it.
It's been done.
Receive it now.
He's already won!"
Yes, repentance, doubt, and other factors play a part, but healing is very simple. The need for deliverance, on the other hand, is a sickness in itself. I'll share a testimony with you.
Many years ago, I was a guest at a church anniversary celebration. A man in the audience began to lean over and make noise. It looked like he had abdominal pain. Everyone turned their attention to him and reached their hands out to be in agreement with the speaker's prayer for him.
I felt what seemed like something forming in my hand, and I heard, "Rebuke it." Never having done this before, I thought, "Huh, what's going on here, and why am I the one hearing this? I'm not the person with the microphone. I didn't even plan to pray. I was just sticking my hand out like everybody else."
I looked around and saw that everyone's eyes were closed. Then I fearfully tried to rebuke whatever was in him. Another weird thing to me was that all of a sudden, I confidently tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Hey, it's gone. You're not having pain." He said, "Oh, yeah, I'm not." Then he sat up normally, and the service went on for the church anniversary as normal. It was weird because I knew that something had left him, and I was confident about it even though I had no clue what was going on.
Afterwards, I came back to my senses LOL. That confidence must have only lasted for 60 seconds because I ran out of the building in a very inconspicuous way.
I was terrified and very, very curious as to what happened. There's more to this story, but here's my point. His body was not in pain just because he needed to be healed. He needed deliverance, and then the healing came. In the Bible, we see Jesus operate in this manner.
Here are some passages for you to review:
Luke 13:10–13, 16
Matthew 17:14–18
Mark 9:17–27
Luke 9:38–42
Matthew 12:22
Luke 11:14
Mark 7:25–30
Matthew 15:22–28
Matthew 12:22 (KJV)
Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Mark 7:25–30 (KJV)
25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
Luke 9:38–42 (KJV)
38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
After this, I began to pray for people often to receive freedom, but I still wondered how they could stay free. Most people would do great and move on to continue their growth in the Lord, while some would do well for a while but eventually return to their old ways.
God has given us everything we need in His Word to understand the spiritual realm and how these things can happen. Luke 11:24–26 specifically provides three phases that the soul encounters, helping us understand not only what happens when someone receives freedom, but what can happen afterward.
3 Phases of Luke 11:24-26
1. EMPTY — Something has gone out.
2. SWEPT — The soul has been cleansed.
3. FILLED — Something must fill every spiritual place. Nothing can be left empty. The critical question becomes: What occupies the house now?
Eww! Who wants eight demons coming back after one just got kicked out? I'm sure you're thinking about how silly it would be for someone to willingly sign up for such an experience, but many people have unintentionally opened themselves up to this state.
Notice that I said unintentionally.
If we are not intentional about our spiritual growth in God, as I mentioned before, something else can begin to fill the space. We cannot simply remove what doesn't belong and leave the space empty. Luke 11:24–26 warns us about the danger of an empty house.
So, how do we know whether we're growing and filling that space with the things of God instead of allowing ungodly influences to take up residence?
I have a short table for you to review that shows how this filling can happen unintentionally. Some of the things that begin occupying our lives may seem harmless at first, but when they continually replace the things that produce spiritual growth, we need to pay attention.
Ungodly Filler | What It Feeds/Grows | How It Fills the Soul | What It Begins to Displace | Spiritual Emptiness |
Excessing in unhealthy and unproductive social media | Engagement, validation, comparison | Encourages constant checking, scrolling, reacting, sharing and consuming whatever the feed presents | Prayer, meditation on God's Word, quietness, focus | God's voice can become harder to discern among competing voices |
Ungodly movies/TV | Entertainment, sensuality, normalization | Repeated exposure makes ungodly behavior increasingly familiar | Purity, sensitivity to sin, godly thinking | What once troubled the conscience can begin to feel normal |
Ungodly music | Emotion, sensuality, worldly thinking | Repetition puts messages, attitudes and desires continually before the mind | Worship, Scripture-shaped thinking | The mind begins rehearsing messages contrary to God's Word |
Career obsession | Achievement, significance | Success demands increasing amounts of time, thought and sacrifice | Calling, family, service, dependence upon GodCalling, family, service, dependence upon God | Identity begins resting in accomplishments |
Unhealthy relationships | Acceptance, attachment, approval | The person's opinions and presence become increasingly influential | Biblical convictions, godly counsel | Biblical convictions, godly counsel |
Gossip | Curiosity, judgment, offense | Conversation continually revolves around other people's lives and failures | Grace, productive speech, prayer | Grace, productive speech, prayer |
Bitterness | Offense, resentment | The mind repeatedly rehearses what happened | Forgiveness, peace, love | The offense begins governing present attitudes and relationships |
False teaching | Deception, self-confirmation | The person repeatedly consumes teaching that affirms desires rather than Scripture | Sound doctrine, correction, discernment | Error can eventually sound like truth |
Worldly thinking | Conformity | Culture continually supplies definitions of success, sexuality, identity and morality | Biblical worldview | God's standards begin appearing strange while culture's standards appear normal |
Comfort | Ease, avoidance | Decisions increasingly revolve around avoiding inconvenience or sacrifice | Obedience, discipline, endurance | Obedience, discipline, endurance |
How Do You Fill the House With the Right Things?
So, how does one fill the house, or the soul, with the right things for spiritual growth and help guard against the return of demonic influence?
The table has a blue section that serves two purposes.
First, it explains what ungodly and unhealthy things can begin to displace in our lives.
Second, and most importantly, it gives us the key to understanding what we need to intentionally put into those spaces.
If excessive social media begins to displace prayer, meditation, quietness, and focus, then we know what needs to be restored. If constant entertainment takes the place of stillness, prayer, and reflection, then those are the areas we need to intentionally rebuild.
The answer isn't simply to empty the house. We have to intentionally fill it with the things of God.
Where could biblical mentorship help you most in your pursuit of success?
0%Hearing God clearly about my next move
0%Building confidence in my calling
0%Developing a stronger, Kingdom-focused mindset
0%Turning what God has given me into action
You can vote for more than one answer.
Don't Just Get Free. Grow in Freedom
Freedom is not the end of the journey. It's an opportunity to grow stronger, become more intentional, and fill your life with the things of God.
Luke 11:24–26 reminds us that we cannot afford to leave the house empty. What you remove matters, but what you intentionally put in its place matters too.
This is one reason I am passionate about teaching, mentorship, and developing believers and leaders. Sometimes you don't need another inspirational message. You need biblical understanding, practical guidance, and someone who can help you recognize what is hindering your growth and move forward with clarity.
If you're ready to become more intentional about your spiritual growth, strengthen your leadership, or receive guidance for where God is taking you next, explore my mentorship, ministerial leadership training, and biblical courses.
Don't leave the space empty.
Fill it.
Grow.
And keep moving forward with God.
Ready to Move Forward With Greater Clarity?
Biblical success requires more than ambition. It requires clarity, wisdom, disciplined thinking, and the confidence to move in the direction God is leading.
If you are a faith-driven leader who knows there is more for you but needs greater clarity concerning your next move, stronger alignment between your faith and leadership, or support governing the mindset required for where you're going, mentorship may be your next step.
I help faith-driven leaders hear God clearly, govern their mindset, & walk confidently in their calling.
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