Demonic activity overpowers a man wrongfully using the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 19:13-20

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.” Acts 19:13-14

Itinerant Jewish exorcists would travel from city to city, region to region to go through rituals of casting evil spirits from people. Now, they were trying to mimic Paul who cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ. There was a huge difference between Paul casting out demons in the name of Jesus and the itinerant Jewish exorcists who were using the name of Jesus. That difference is that the Jewish itinerant exorcists took it upon themselves to exert the name of Jesus over evil spirits. That means the authority of the Holy Spirit was not with them because they did not believe in Jesus as the Christ and their Lord and Savior. Paul used the name of Jesus in the presence of the Holy Spirit to expel evil spirits from those possessed.

Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23

Today’s culture has a form of Godliness, but they deny the power of Jesus Christ. They speak of casting the evil spirits out of this world as they focus on peace, tolerance, and security for everyone of this world. However, they discourage belief in God in the name of casting out the “evil spirits” of religious conflict. They silence the need for the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ to cast out the “evil spirits” of intolerance and judgment against “diverse” lifestyles. They oppose the notion of the Holy Spirit being a person in order to cast out the “evil spirts” of imperfect people trying to walk in Holiness.

The Jesus of today’s culture is in the form of humanism which is the fig leaf worn by those who live and govern for the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. Humanism is “…an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems…”. They rely on the beast that has power over physiology to cast out “evil spirits” as the conscience and spirit are being corrupted while opposing the presence of the Holy Spirit. They believe spiritual cleanliness comes when people are obedient to the beast that governs through thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors.

A person may feel clean, and be perceived as being Godly, but this is just a form of Godliness if the Holy Spirit is not within our spirit and soul. Jesus says, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation.” Matthew 12:43-45

“And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Acts 19:15

The demon spirit was familiar with Jesus Christ, meaning it recognized His authority as the Son of God. The demon spirit also recognized Paul, who was working by the Spirit of God. However, the demon did not know the seven sons of Sceva [the chief priest] who tried to use the name of Jesus without living in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Today, the demon spirits do not recognize the authority of today’s atheistic culture to cast out evil spirits. Today’s culture lives in their sin of opposing belief in God, scoffing at the need for Jesus Christ, and discarding the Holy Spirit as nothing more than “soft” [and considered weak] human sentiments. This world is progressing towards a global habitat of demonic activity, as quoted, “‘She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.” Revelation 18:2

“Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” Acts 19:16

To be “naked” in a spiritual sense is to be seen as living by the flesh. To be “wounded” is to be inflicted in the flesh. The men were “naked” and “wounded” in the sense that they were seen as being powerless to restrain demons and being wounded by them. Today’s global government and its global culture want to maintain a Godly image while denying the power of Jesus Christ. They are going to be discovered as being “naked” and “wounded” when demonic activity fills the earth and lawlessness prevails.

The demon-possessed man leaped onto the seven sons of Sceva, who were using the name and authority of Jesus without the authority of the Spirit of God in their life. The demon overpowered and prevailed against them. The seven men fled from the house naked and wounded. When the Holy Spirit is removed from the population of this world, demonic activity begins to arise, and lawlessness abounds. The Holy Spirit restrains lawlessness. This present world system of the beast will be overpowered by lawlessness, and demonic activity will prevail against them, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 Click here for a post on the “lawless one”.

“This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.” Acts 19:17-18

As followers of Jesus Christ, we want to make the word of God known to all we can and to glorify the name of Jesus. He is the one who brings Salvation and judgment, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 We want them to know that, “…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 And that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 We want people to magnify the name of the Lord, to believe in God through Jesus Christ and to have their unbelief forgiven. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” Acts 19:19-20

The people of Ephesus had a mountain of books that they practiced magic with. This involved using elements of religious beliefs mixed with secular knowledge to have a certain power and control over the outcome of people’s lives. This would be like using the Scriptures of the Bible in order to profit in materialistic and monetary ways.

The Ephesians had over 138 years of books that they burned in one day. How can that be known? Because the value of all the books piled up were 50,000 pieces of silver. One piece of silver amounted to one day’s wage, so 50,000 pieces of silver amounted to 50,000 workdays worth of books. That is about 138 years of books. Today, let’s say people make $15.00 an hour and work 8 hours, that is $120.00 worth of books in one day. 50,000 days at $120.00 per day is about $6,000,000 [six million] of books that was burned in one day at Ephesus. “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” They began living by faith in Jesus Christ instead of living by faith in what was written in their magic books. 138 years of burned books in one day implies that a lot of Ephesians, thousands, said “Yes” to Jesus Christ on that day.

Governments around the world are using “magic books” that they supply to their population. For example, a previous president of Mexico [in the year 2020] had a 20-page “magic book” of “moral” precepts that mirror the “Beatitudes” in the Bible. The huge demonic difference is that the “magic booklets” discard the need for Jesus Christ and ignores the Holy Spirit. I read that book when it was first published, and is called “Cartilla Moral,” Click here for a news article on “Mexican president presents ‘ethical guide’ book of precepts”. The Mexican President has distributed ten million of those booklets for free and citizens are expected to live by those “moral” precepts.

Also, the United Nations has their “magic book” which everyone has knowledge of the text of that book although may not realize their knowledge comes from the global government’s “magic book”. That “magic book” is called the “Sustainable Development Goals”. I can envision the day when the global government sends out a “magic book” of moral values for the global culture to read and embrace [integrated into schoolbooks, workplace policies, etc.]. It will have a form of Godliness but denying Jesus Christ. The “fingerprints” of the beast with two horns like a lamb [Satan’s version of the Holy Spirit] will be on the pages as the author/inspiration for the “magic book”.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we live by the book of the Bible, and our born-again experience is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11