May the demons know your name!

By Tom Russell                                            

You might think that is a strange thing to hope for someone, but bear with me.

While in the city of Ephesus the Apostle Paul performed many miracles including the casting out of evil spirits.  Seven sons of a Jewish High Priest named Sceva attempted to do the same.  The result of their efforts was quite different than Paul’s. “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 19:15-17)

My point is the demons did not fear pretenders, but they knew and feared Christ and His followers.  Some might object that we aren’t Paul, and of course that is true, however, do we not have the inspired scriptures of God that we may be “competent, equipped for every good work?” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Did not Paul say that the “weapons of our warfare” are of “divine power” and that “we destroy ever lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ?” (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5)

Why should we be fearful of Satan when Christ has already defeated him through His power and resurrection?  I think people have spent time watching demonic horror flicks and have come to believe the “fake news” that Satan somehow has the power to enslave a faithful heart.  Hogwash!

Yes, the devil does “stalk about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour,” and just recently Satanists displayed his visage at the Arkansas capital building (more on this in a later article), but God says that if we will submit to Him and resist Satan through faith that he will flee from us (1 Peter 5:8, 9 James 4:7) and God has never lied.  Think about it, did the Heavenly Father send His Son to battle and crush Satan to then leave us unprotected on the battlefield?  Of course not!

God has provided us with the perfect armor with which to defeat the schemes of Satan.  The armor includes a “shield of faith with which we can extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one!”  The question is, are we willing to pick it up and put it on!?!

Paul encouraged Timothy to “fan the flame of God’s gift,” “for God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control!” (2 Timothy 1:6, 8)

Yes, Satan exists and with his utterly vicious followers he constantly strives to exploit, attack, and defeat the righteous.