There is a famous quote by the apostle Paul that talks about how our bodies should be made Holy, as though to offer up the gift of purity to God. He compares this to the adornment of a Holy temple. Or at least as close to pure as we can come. The question we can then ask is, "what do we put into our temple?"
It seems like a simple question at first. But remember, we are surrounded by sin and temptation in this world constantly. Even the very word 'sin' itself is frowned upon by much of society, and even a good many churches. As if Jesus died on a cross so that we could just be happy and content (and nothing more).
I firmly believe that evil does exist and can affect the things that we do and say. It will sometimes set up shop in people, belief systems, and even entire institutions. Jesus spent a fair amount of time talking about the reality of evil spirits and spiritual warfare in the Bible. This root cause of poor behavior is often ignored today, but we see its aftereffects on the nightly news. Stories about greed, avarice, and violence against others. All symptoms of a sin afflicted heart.
Matthew 12:43-45 says, "When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 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 person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
Some scholars suggest that this parable might be an allegory about Judea and the Roman occupation years ago. Basically, the argument says that since people could not come right out and say the words "Roman invaders," Jesus may have used flowery language to describe the powerful oppressors instead. Rome's pagan idols may have influenced God's people to begin worshipping unclean things. In this sense, Rome would be the evil spirit, and Judea the wicked generation for turning away from God.
But I would like to treat this parable more plainly - and not read too much into it with a twenty-first century perspective. I think Jesus was literally talking about the forces of evil, and how to ensure that we keep our bodies (our temples) Holy. We are vulnerable to sin and temptation at all times. Once cleansed and repented of, evil habits can come back into our lives easily enough. Especially if we don't 're-furnish' our clean swept house with the proper type of spiritual furniture.
So how do we keep ourselves protected from evil? I believe we can furnish our allegorical home in three ways. First, we focus on what God said instead of what other people say. This involves reading or listening to the Bible regularly. It doesn't mean you need to put on a monk's robe and recite Scripture by candlelight, but it does mean you need to keep your mind exposed to chapter and verse regularly.
Second, we keep ourselves free of evil by maintaining a solid prayer life. I don't care if you only have five minutes per day - go ahead and communicate with God. Prayer is like a muscle - the more you use it, the more natural it will feel.
Third is fellowship. Find a church or group of people that you can trust and commune with on a regular basis. More than once every few months. Find a Bible believing church where you can share your thoughts on religion and faith, and ask questions in a judgement-free zone.
These three spiritual disciplines together form a powerful defense against evil making its way into your life. It seems clear that we must be on guard against what the Lord refers to as unclean spirits. And it helps especially to understand that evil spirits are real as well, and not just mythical creatures that we assign as metaphors for bad behavior. Jesus describes them as actual free-thinking beings, that can manifest themselves in ways that manipulate and seduce humanity.
I will close by mentioning Paul's advice when it comes to spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Now I will add that I don't believe Paul is necessarily condemning governments here. But rather, he is talking about supernatural evil as an infection - making its way into people's hearts and minds. So keep your house swept clean, but then don't let it sit idle afterward. Go the next step and seek out Scripture, prayer, and other Christians to talk to. Don't give evil an inch, or it could very well take a mile.
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