“But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 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.” – Acts 19:15-16
Seven foolish sons of a Jewish priest saw Paul casting out demons in the name of Jesus. Though these men didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, they tried casting out a demon in His name anyway. That was a terrible idea!!! They knew all the right words to say but they lacked the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. That only comes from being a follower of Jesus. So, they were powerless against the demon which beat them up, tore off their clothes, and sent them running out of the house buck naked.
This story is a wonderfully hilarious reminder of an important truth… Demons fully know who Jesus is and have no choice but to obey Him but people who don’t know Jesus should not get mixed up with evil spirits! Christians in the West often discount the supernatural realities of the universe but demons are real and they’re terrible. However, Jesus is more powerful than every demon ever created.
Every true follower of Jesus is sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Christ. We have tremendous power to win spiritual victories, even over demons. However, to win that victory we must fully believe in Jesus, believe in His prevailing power, and stand firm in the Lord by putting on God’s spiritual armor (see Ephesians 6). Are you prepared for whatever spiritual battles you face today? In Christ, you have all the power you need. #FollowJesus