Who Guards the Door?
A Poem from the Parable of the Strong Man Luke 11:14-26. Do not be an "empty vessel," but be Filled with the Holy Spirit
We must not be “empty vessels,” but rather we are commanded to “be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
I wrote a poem a few years ago about the dangers of an unoccupied soul. I hope it awakens your eyes to the dangers of “little sins.”
Who Guards the Door?
A Poem from the Parable of the Strong Man Luke 11:14-26
Out of bed you stumble, you rub your sleepy eyes,
Something new has come to stay, today a big surprise.
It’s something dark and sinister, it’s sitting in your chair;
The face is kind of ugly, a stench has filled the air.
How did you get into my house, you didn’t even knock?
Was the door wide open, or did you pick the lock?
How is it you are in my house, why is it that you came?
You act like you belong here, yet I don’t know your name.
“I’m a little sin” it says, explaining with a grin;
I’ve been here for a while now, you did invite me in!
“A little sin,” you ponder, that cannot be too bad,
“A little sin” is quite okay, in times when I am sad.
If you promise to behave yourself, I’ll tolerate your stay,
Just be careful not to hurt me, be careful what you say.
“A little sin” took its place & quickly settled in;
Its evil presence mocking you, with its ugly grin.
Then one day it reared its head, its evil teeth it bared;
“A little sin” was now so big, now it’s got you scared.
It’s time to act, for day by day it’s growing ever stronger,
You’re scared that it will take you out, you can’t wait any longer.
You summon up the courage, this sin must go no doubt;
You take it to the front door, you finally kick it out.
It took all your strength to do it, sin put up quite a fight;
But now it’s knocking on your door, no rest for you tonight.
Your house is once again at peace, you do enjoy the rest.
That “little sin” as tenant, surely was a pest.
You’ve shut the door, & locked it, & hope it won’t come back,
But still you know to guard the door, you never can be slack.
The mess that sin left in your house, you slowly bring to order;
It left you devastated that ugly, smelly boarder.
Time goes by, you clean the mess, happy with the win;
Your guard goes down as you forget the consequence of sin.
The demon that has gone from you has found no other home;
It liked it there inside your house, it doesn’t like to roam.
It knows that it will need some help, seven evil ugly spirits;
It brings them all to your house, intent to live within it.
They find the house is open, no guard is at the door;
The devastation that they bring is far worse than before.
The demons that invade your house, you invited in;
You opened up the door to them when you neglected sin.
Any sin is bondage, who is it that can free us?
There’s only one can break the chain, and His name is Jesus.
The Parable of the Strong Man
And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.
But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.
When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 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 11:14-26
Did you like this poem? Please share with others who would be edified by this.
Questions or further thoughts? I’d love your feedback in the comments. Feel free to drop them in the comments and we can dive deeper!
In Christ,
—Dave