Acts 19:13-20

    Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

 

    When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

 

I wouldn’t have wanted to be one of those seven men. But they certainly taught us all a valuable lesson for unbelievers and believers alike: Jesus isn’t an add-on. He’s all or nothing. Either Jesus is entirely Lord, or we have no claim to Him. If we try to overcome Satan and his forces without actually being servants of Jesus Christ, we will be overwhelmed and overcome.

 

Father, thank You for reminding me that I can’t just mix Jesus with something else. I can’t mix Him into another religion, into my strategies, or into my efforts. If I want to benefit from His power, I must first humble myself before Him and live as though He really is the King of the Universe! I cannot manipulate Him. I cannot siphon off some of His strength for my own uses. I cannot put Him in a bottle and put Him on a shelf to be used at my convenience. He is Lord! I either accept His reign and serve Him, or I have no claim to Him at all. Help me. Overcome any foolishness that keeps me from seeing that Jesus is really in charge and in control. Overcome any pride or blindness that keeps me from submitting some aspect of my life to Jesus, or trying to accomplish things by His power but without Him.