Acts 19:13-16
13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, โI command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!โ 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, โI know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?โ 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.
Paul was doing a lot of miracles at this time. He was overflowing with the Holy Spirit so much that even handkerchiefs he had touched would heal people. God was doing some amazing things through him. Evil spirits surely knew who he was and what he was doing. These priests tried to leverage that. Figuring the evil spirits would tremble at the name of Jesus or the name of Paul. It didn’t work though. The evil spiritโs were not afraid of these priests who really didn’t believe in Jesus. These priests really presented no threats to the evil spirits.
It isn’t enough to just know about Jesus. It isn’t enough to read the Bible. Satan knows who Jesus is after all. Just knowing about Jesus doesn’t give you power over evil.
When I read this it makes me think about my own life. Am I a threat? Does Satan and his demons know who I am? Have they conspired to bring me down or am I like these priests, someone they donโt consider a threat. Am I doing enough to further the Kingdom of God to be on their hit list?
Going through life and being a “good” person isn’t enough to a threat. Just because I am nice to people isn’t enough. Just because I sit here in the morning, reading some scripture and writing about it, doesn’t mean I am a threat if I am not doing anything with what I read. It doesn’t mean anything if I am not sharing this with other people.
I want to be a threat to Satan. I want him and his evil spirits to know who I am.
Lord, I pray for your Spirit to fill me. I pray for your strength to empower me. I pray for the courage to share with others about who you are. I pray that I would have the huevos to talk to others about you and not be afraid of what they might say.