“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12
In Acts 19:13-17 we read of an interesting encounter that the Sons of Sceva had with some demons. Hear this brief but yet powerful exchange:
“13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
Do we ever contemplate the knowledge of demons of biblical ministry? Here is one great example above.
When the seven sons of Sceva (a Jewish high priest) tried to exorcise some demons through incantation by invoking the name of the Lord Jesus whom Paul proclaimed, the demon answers with a sense of combative religious humor. It says, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” Here we see revealed the truthfulness of Jesus Christ, the biblical ministry of His faithful Apostle, and the reality of spiritual forces of demons to both.
We seldom ask ourselves this question in ministry: “are the forces of hell aware of and disturbed by the ministry I do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ?” The answer should be a resounding YES! If demons could testify about our lives and ministry would they say “Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you?” If they can, then what we are doing for the kingdom has little or no impact and significance. It is impotent and ineffectual labor. Now we know that these Jewish exorcists were not regenerated. They were religiousists, impostors, imitators of spiritual things. They had a knowing about God, but they did not know Him or were known by Him.
What follows was tragic and just. The man with the demon overpowered the sons of Sceva gobsmacked them and beat them down with such force that they left the house bruised, bleeding, and naked. So significant was this event that all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, heard of it. Three things resulted: the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled, others repented of their divination and practices by burning their books of the magic arts totaling a value of 50,000 pieces of silver, and the Word of the Lord spread rapidly and prevailed.
Now that’s triumphant biblical ministry!
May I encourage you today fellow Christian to live in light of eternity; to live in light of the power of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to live in light of the testimony of Satan’s cohorts. Spiritual warfare is real. It is not a playground for spiritual children – but a battlefield for the spiritually mature. The devil and his demons maybe mighty; but Jesus Christ is Almighty! And though “we wrestle not against flesh and blood…” “our labor and toil is not in vain” for the victory and the “battle belongs to the Lord.” “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might…” beloved. Live in such obedience to God’s Word and loyalty to Heaven’s Dread Sovereign, that even the demons would have knowledge of the work you are doing by the grace that is found in Christ and in the power of His Spirit by the authority of His Word in the spreading of His gospel and in the building of His kingdom.
“What would the devil say about your life
Do they know you in hell as they know our Christ
Are you boiling hot
Or are you cold as ice?”
