“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 the 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 Paul I know about, 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.”
Acts 19:13-17 NIV
It’s amazing how the thirst for power leads people into strange paths. Some of the Jews in Ephesus, though apparently not believers in Jesus, tried to use the name of Jesus as a magic formula to drive out demons. A family of sons of Sceva, whoever he was, tried this ploy but, unfortunately, it backfired. Instead of gaining a reputation for power, as they had probably hoped, they were thoroughly beaten up and humiliated.
What they failed to understand was that…
Although the name of Jesus has great power, He works through those who are united in faith and obedience to Him. He gave authority to use His name to those who are convinced that He is Lord. He doesn’t give His power of attorney to just anyone.
The crux of the matter was…
“One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”
Jesus’ power is freely available to those who believe in His name…not to those who have no regard for who He is.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
John 14:12-14 NIV
Can you see the significance of this incident? Paul was ministering in a city that was full of the practices of witchcraft. The evidence of demonic power was everywhere. These Jewish men, who were supposedly exorcising demons, were simply trying to add the name of Jesus to their pool of powers through which they operated.
What foolishness! What disrespect! What lack of understanding of who Jesus was in that situation, and still is today! Jesus is not, and will never be, one of many. He is absolutely, and utterly, and forever, Lord…the supreme authority in heaven and on earth!
Only those who bow to Him as Lord and live under His authority, have the right to use His name and to expect Him to act on His Word.
These men neither understood nor acted in obedience to His instructions…and they paid dearly for their foolishness. As then, so now, there are many who trifle with the name of Jesus because they have no idea of who He really is.
I tremble when I hear people using expressions like, “O my God!” or even,” OMG!” as a thoughtless expletive, or speaking of God as “the man upstairs!” with no thought to the utter holiness of the one whose name they invoke so carelessly. And what of words like “holy moly” or worse with no regard to the true meaning of holiness or to whom holiness belongs?
Written in stone are the words…
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
Exodus 20:7 NIV
The name of the Lord is a treasure we must guard with great care and never…never treat it with anything but reverence and awe.
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11 NIV
To be continued