Oh no! They are up again!
Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
Paul was on his third missionary journey and he was in the town of Ephesus. Ephesus was a town full of supposed magic; even in the name of God they were trying to exercise their power over evil forces; this brought them supposed prestige. Even the seven sons of a priest had fallen into this dark world and were practicing this magic. God began to do strange miracles through Paul in this region to reach these people. His sweat rags, handkerchiefs and aprons were healing the sick and casting out demons just by those affected touching them. This was proving this that Paul’s preaching was truly from God.
These seven sons of Sceva had called upon Christ’s name to cast out an evil spirit. The evil spirit replied to them “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”. The evil spirit did the unthinkable in that he casts out the exorcists. 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. The evil spirit had called their bluff; he had laughed in their haughtiness and showed them they were nothing but false; no power in Christ but false prophets. He had left one body and leapt into seven, humiliating them as they fled naked. This became greatly known throughout the region and the name of Christ was glorified. 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Does Satan know you? Does Satan fear you for the power that resides in you as a disciple of Christ? Or is he satisfied at the religion that you rest on with your weekly worship and false security that will have no effect on his kingdom? Does he know that you truly are so busy that you have no time for Christ and the work He has laid before you? Do you feel so good about yourself that you present no threat to the kingdom of darkness? You will pay eternally for that pride. You should desire to have your picture on a Most Wanted poster at the gates of Hell. Your life should be focused every day on the Kingdom Work; a disciple such as Paul that spreads the Good News to a dark and dying world of false religions and securities. This world needs those disciples such as Paul to live their lives focused on eternity. The time is now, the time is every day that you awake and spend time with God. Every morning when you awake, pray, and open the Word is a day Satan knows who you are in Christ. That day may be difficult because Satan desires to take your eyes of Christ. Dig in for it is a war that is worth fighting when you are a disciple of Christ that is known to the enemy.
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