And when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it wanders through waterless places seeking rest, but it does not find it.
In this saying, Jesus explains the nature and actions of unclean spirits. When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it does not cease to exist, but continues to look for a new place where it can act. The expression “waterless places” can symbolize the unclean spirit’s comfortless condition, where it does not find a suitable environment for itself. This account is used to describe a person’s spiritual condition: the person from whom evil has departed must be attentive to his spiritual state. If spiritual emptiness is not filled with the presence of the Spirit of God, it can again become vulnerable to the return of evil. By this example Jesus warns that spiritual deliverance must be accompanied by spiritual growth, a deepening of faith, and being filled with God’s power. Otherwise, as we will see in the next verse, the person remains vulnerable to the return of unclean spirits and to a greater fall. This saying is a call to go deeper in relationship with God in order to protect one’s own soul.