ACTS 19:11-20

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2007

YOU CAN’T FOOL SATAN!

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
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. 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. Acts 19:11-20 (NKJV)

I often comment that when I read a passage from God’s Holy Word that I discover a new concept. I really should say that the Holy Spirit opens my eyes and heart as this new (for me) thought is revealed. These verses offer a different confession. As I read them, I could not remember reading them before. I know that I have read them when I would read the Acts of the Apostles. It is more likely that the words did not have a meaning for me at the time, so I just passed on to the next verses.

This time when I read them, so much meaning was revealed to me. I saw how important these words are for us in this particular time. Sometimes I think that God allows us to read right on past words that will have more importance the next time we read them.

St. Luke begins these verses by telling of the tremendous results that have come as God blessed the ministry of St. Paul. People were grasping at anything that was connected to St. Paul. (This is somewhat like people do today with stars of the material world.)  Watching all of this were some Jewish exorcists. They were being ignored because of the fact that the evil spirits would leave the bodies of those possessed when St. Paul cast them out in the Name of Jesus.

When these Jewish exorcists said, “We exorcise you by the Jesus that Paul preaches” the evil spirit replied., “I know Jesus, I know Paul, but who are you?” We are then told that the evil spirit attacked these Jewish exorcists until they ran away in shame. We are told that the fame of Paul grew and grew.

The important thought here for me is that WE CAN’T FOOL SATAN. If we do something in the Name of Jesus, we had better believe in Jesus, and have the faith that He will hear the prayer, the request, that we have made in His Name. If that faith is not there, Satan will attack us and seek to destroy us.

There are many people today who have seen what powers the church can have. They may not believe in Jesus, they may not lead lives that are pleasing to Jesus, they only want to use Jesus for their own benefit in the same way the Jewish exorcists did. They might be Pastors seeking glory for themselves. They may be members seeking to gain more for themselves by being a part of a church. They may be church boards who put the material above the spiritual. All of these could call on the name of the Jesus Paul speaks about. At the same time evil is seeking to destroy and humiliate them.

YOU CAN’T FOOL SATAN. If you try, Satan will say, “I know Jesus, I know Paul, but I don’t know you.” Not only will he say that, but he will proceed to destroy not only you, but also those to whom you have given false hopes.

St. Paul stood firm in His Faith; he was victorious. The Jewish exorcists tried to use Paul’s way, but there was no faith base; they failed. YOU CAN’T FOOL SATAN. You don’t need to. Stand firm on your Faith for Jesus has already won the victory for you. You don’t have to win the battle, you only have to spread the Good News that the battle has been won.

WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit upon me that my faith would increase daily. You have said, “Whatsoever you ask in my Name.....” AMEN.

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

When you pray asking for something in the Name of Jesus, be sure that you believe that Jesus can do what you ask. If you have even the slightest doubt, call upon the Holy Sprit to lead you to a stronger faith.