Fan the Flame - a Journey Through ActsSample

Day 40 - Paul in Ephesus

In Acts 19:13-22, we read an account of some strange happenings. A group of Jews has seen the success that Paul and other disciples have had delivering people from demonic oppression in the name of Jesus. Realising that there is great power in the name of Jesus, these Jews, for reasons known only to them, decided to perform deliverance. It would appear that they had some success for a while until one day the evil spirit they were trying to exorcise recognised these men did not carry the authority to cast this demon out. The tables were turned, and the possessed guy overpowered all these people to the point they somehow ended up naked and beaten, running for their lives.

This might seem kind of hilarious, but in reality, it was really frightening, and people were shaken. To have your eyes opened to the spiritual powers at play is confronting, yet here we see the value of not sweeping it all under the rug. It was this confrontation that brought the Ephesians to renounce the dangerous spiritual practices of their day that until this point probably didn’t seem quite so malicious. They suddenly recognised that there are activities which open our lives to spiritual entities which have real power to cause real harm.

The bible makes no secret of spiritual warfare, and the demonic forces are alive and active in the world. While we may not speak of it too often in our culture, those who battle on the front lines bringing the gospel will quickly become familiar with the spiritual opposition that takes place. We live in a culture where books of spells and tarot cards are readily available at the supermarket, horoscopes are published in newspapers, and star signs sit alongside personality tests. When Jesus’ power comes to bring freedom in the lives of those we meet, the powers behind this stuff kick up a stink and Jesus has given us the task of dealing with it.

If we are coming up against these powers, we need to understand the difference between Paul and this Jewish crew. Paul didn’t come simply proclaiming the power of the name of Jesus, but he walked in the authority of a person living as Jesus’ representative. When we accept Jesus as our King and Savior, we also receive the authority to live in the power of the Kingdom, just like Jesus did, just like Paul did.

Today, let’s pray that like the Ephesians, our eyes will be opened to anything that we need to confess. Let’s pray that we will understand, like Paul, the fullness of the authority we have been given as disciples to set the captives free.

Written by Jess Quak