In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus speaks of the dangers of partial Christian conversion:
ββWhen an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, βI will return to the house I left.β When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.ββ
In this passage, Jesus teaches us about the spiritual world and the dynamics of the spiritual war. In particular, He speaks here of a man who experienced a partial Christian conversion. We are not told the details of the conversion experience, but we are told that βan evil spirit came out of the man.β Regardless of the decision to convert, he did not follow up on his conversion and turn his entire life over to God. His conversion was incomplete. The βevil spiritβ left, but nothing came to replace it. The man did not replace the power of the evil spirit with the power of God. Devoid of Godβs power through the Holy Spirit, the evil spirit returned and found βthe house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.β Note the wording here. The manβs life was not messed up, but βput in order.β From all external appearances, the man had it altogether.
And yet, there was spiritual emptiness inside β¦ a vacancy left to be filled. The evil spirit took advantage of this spiritual emptiness, and took with it βseven other spirits more wicked itselfβ, to go back and live in the man. βAnd the final condition of that man is worse than the first.β The partial conversion was detrimental. ByΒ choosingΒ to partially turn his life over to God, the result was that his entire soul was lost.
βThere is a terrible persistence in wickedness: it returns, and the soul not indwelt by the rightful Tenant is always beleaguered. Mere reformation is never enoughβ¦β [Morris, 329].
