Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be also with this evil generation.”
In this saying, Jesus warns about what can happen if spiritual cleansing or deliverance is not followed by spiritual growth and being filled with God’s presence. When the unclean spirit returns to the “house” (a person’s soul), if it remains cleaned but empty, it becomes more vulnerable to repeated invasions of evil. Here the “seven evil spirits” symbolize the multiplication of evil powers that return with greater force than before. This shows that merely trying to be rid of evil, without being strengthened by God’s presence and by faith, can lead to a worse condition than the former one. Jesus concludes by saying that the same can happen also to “this evil generation.” This refers to the Pharisees and those around them, who saw Jesus’ miracles and heard his preaching, yet refused to repent and accept the kingdom of God. This saying is an important lesson for everyone: spiritual deliverance or reform cannot be temporary or only outward. It must be accompanied by spiritual fullness, faith, and God’s presence, which protects a person from the return of evil and makes him spiritually firm and guarded.