Acts 19:1-22
Reflect
In our contemporary Christianity, many of us are caught in between either downplaying or overplaying spiritual warfare. We may not encounter any explicit confrontations with any demonic activity as the days pass and therefore, ignore what could be potentially going on around us. On the other hand, it may be equally unwise to make spiritual warfare the central task of our Christian lives as if we were the Ghostbusters.
Despite where you land on this topic of spiritual warfare, we can all agree that when the truth of God is face-to-face with any sort of evil, God will always win. This is what we see with the son of Sceva. Ephesus was a bizarre place; syncretism acted as a safeguard for purpose and life after death, and Jewish exorcists were popular through the first century. With people holding such blended beliefs of mysticism and Christianity, it’s no surprise that these exorcists used the name of Jesus! However, when they misused the name of Jesus when clashing with the evil spirits, it’s almost laughable at how badly they were humiliated by the demon.
The result? The name of the Lord was praised (v17), and the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail (v20). Nothing can defeat our God.
Apply
In what ways does the might and truth of God comfort you today, and give bright hope for tomorrow?
Pastor Nathanael
Pray
- Pray for our Childcare staff, the children and their families this week. Pray for the Director, Kristy Thomas.
- Pray for our Audio/Visual Director, Grant Mix.
- Pray for our Lead Team Pastor, Terry Okken and his family.
- Pray for our Communications Specialist, Katrina Grey.