Summertime StoriesSample

Acts 19:13-16

13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” 

14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 

15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 

16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

As a father of three young daughters, I have seen time and time again my daughters try to get me to agree to something with the phrase, “Mommy said I could…” Not having been born yesterday, I know that many times momma granted no such request. Their thought process is simple - using mom’s name adds authority to the request, and since daddy always does what mommy wants, he will succumb to our demands! 

In today’s text, we see a group of Jews coming to Ephesus and trying to use the name of Jesus in some magical way to cast a demon out of a man. They thought they could exercise power without authority. The evil spirit’s reply is interesting. It knew of Jesus and Paul, but not these seven sons of Sceva. So it caused the man to attack and nearly kill these seven brothers. 

These men were not believers in Christ, so they lacked the authority that comes with being adopted into God’s family. As Christians, we are loved in heaven and known in hell. In this section of Acts, you see Paul exercising his authority in Christ preaching the Gospel in boldness and healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. Today, walk as a child of God, knowing who you are in Christ. Your authority does not come from you or anything you’ve done, but from Christ and all that He has done to bring you into the family!