TODAY’S DEVOTION (SATURDAY 6TH JANUARY 2024)
“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.
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
Then the man in whom the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” Acts 19:13-16 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 6TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
When we say impact, we are referring to Kingdom impact. Every kingdom impact, will either bring down what is not God’s will or establish what is God’s will.
Kingdom impact is driven by what Our King Himself declared, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
The vision of every Kingdom impact is to make sure God’s kingdom comes into the hearts of men, and God’s will be done in their lives as written in Heaven. But No one can make Kingdom impact carrying the nature of Satan.
Every Kingdom impact will solve spiritual problems; it will expose, expel, or neutralize the kingdom of Satan in or around men and women. That is why, there could be great meetings, crowd gatherings calling it revival, and still, there is no genuine kingdom impact.
Genuine Kingdom Impact cannot happen when we carry the nature of Satan, even in its smallest form. Genuine kingdom impact only happens when people launch out attacks against hell with the nature of Christ on their inside.
What is satanic cannot neutralize what is of the kingdom of Satan. To neutralize what is of the kingdom of Satan, we must be Christlike in every step we take, as demonstrated in the life of Paul, the apostle.
Our devotional text yesterday says,
“But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? Matthew 12:25-26 NKJV
THIS TEXT OPENED A STREAM OF TRUTH YESTERDAY ON WALKING IN PRACTICAL AND SPIRITUAL WISDOM.
We shared that practical wisdom will help us deal with practical problems, and spiritual wisdom will help us deal with spiritual problems. That brought us to what we shared on the wisdom of God, especially the wisdom of GOD for dealing with spiritual problems.
We shared that, in dealing with spiritual problems, we must understand the wisdom of the Ancient of Days Himself that says, “Satan cannot cast out Satan” and make sure we are not satanic in any way.
Yes, we must understand that all spiritual problems are from Satan and that being satanic in any form will not allow us to deal with them, because Satan cannot cast out Satan.
The Bible is clear on this; we should not operate in the likeness, pattern, or nature of Satan, and expect that we will be able to deal with spiritual problems. They will end up dealing with us.
We find a perfect example of that in our devotional text today. The text says,
“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.
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
Then the man in whom the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” Acts 19:13-16 NKJV
The deliverance ministers in this scripture failed because they attempted dealing with a spiritual problem with a form of Satan in their lives. That form or nature is a form that makes Satan behave like God. He is not of God but behaves like God.
In human version, the form or nature manifests in a man trying to do God’s work without being of God; without walking or living in His ways. Sadly, so many believers today are in this form.
THAT IS WHY MORAL LANDSCAPES ARE NOT TRANSFORMED DESPITE THE MULTITUDE OF OUR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES.
That is why so many spiritual problems are not being permanently solved. People are only experiencing relief and not rest because Jesus is not involved. In most cases, it is the demon of deliverance that is involved.
Jesus will never be involved in any attempt to deal with a spiritual problem with the nature, likeness, or pattern of Satan inside us.
What an irony; the sons of Sceva had a nature of Satan in them, and attempted dealing with what is Satanic. That was why it ended up dealing with them. Satan cannot cast out Satan.
So many Christians have either died in one way or the other, trying to deal with spiritual problems. They died because they attempted doing so in a very wrong way.
They did not follow the wisdom of the ancients of days that says, “Satan cannot cast out Satan” by making sure no form of the satanic exit in their lives before going out to solve a spiritual problem.
God promised us that, when we tread upon serpents and scorpions, nothing shall by any means hurt us.
But most who are treading are coming back with what God forbids; they are coming back hurt by all things and all means. Yet displaying a deep-seated ignorance by saying, they are having those counterattacks because their prayers were effective.
No, you are having those attacks because you are attempting to deal with spiritual problems with a form of Satan in your life. Show me where Christ suffered counterattack? And He said, as the Father sent Him, so He sends us.
Shown me where the early church was chased or attacked by demons after solving spiritual problems.
They only faced persecutions, distractions, and disappointments from the government and religious system of the day, which is normal if you launch any type of apostolic ministry.
YOU WILL BE SEVERELY PERSECUTED BY EVEN YOUR OWN PEOPLE FOR BRINGING ORDER BUT NEVER HAVE SPIRITUAL ATTACKS.
The early church was persecuted but never had attacks that killed their marriages, struck them with diseases, lack, poverty, nightmares, people sleeping with them in the dream, etc. like we see happen in the lives of most spiritual people today.
The life of Christ and that of our Bible fathers shows that, we should not suffer any counter attack after solving a spiritual problem, in our lives or the lives of others.
Jesus says, “the prince of this world comes, but He has nothing in me.”
We must check if the enemy has something in us before going all out against his works. If we do not do that, the problems we are trying to deal with, will turn around to deal with us. That is what spiritual wisdom teaches.
The rule remains, do not be satanic while trying to deal with the satanic.
You might succeed for a while, but a time will come when what you have been dealing with will turn around and begin to deal with you, even from generation to generation. Meaning, even after you are long gone, your kids will still be suffering the results of your foolishness.
Most of what is called generational curses are spiritual problems grand parents tried using sorcery to solve. The problems they tried using Satan to solve, turned around to deal with them and their children. You do not attempt dealing with what is satanic by being satanic yourself.
To be satanic has so many forms. There is the dark form, and there is the light form. The form that is common among believers is the form Jesus neutralized in Peter; a mind full of the things of this world instead of the things of God.
Meaning, you cannot have a mind full of the things of this world and be able to deal with spiritual problems effectively. They will turn around and deal with you.
Other forms of the satanic you see in so many believers, is unforgiveness, bitterness, wickedness, sinful living, harboring secret sins, jealousy, envy, selfishness, self-centeredness, hypocrisy, and etc.
WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH ANY SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS HAVING ANY OF THAT IN OUR LIVES.
That is why most people with spiritual problems go looking for prophets instead of searching themselves, to obtain liberty from God without the help of any prophet.
Sadly, when they meet the prophets or spiritual people, the prophets or spiritual people will begin to make fame or fortune using their misfortunes as a raw material, instead of doing what is required.
In God’s plan, each child of God is a soldier of the cross, who should be armed enough to deal with his or her own spiritual problems without running after people who present themselves as spiritual giants.
The greatest key to solving all spiritual problems, is doing away with the nature of Satan by walking with the LORD, and obeying His ways, will, and Spirit. With that you will begin to eat the good of the land, the land of God’s grace and precious promises.
It’s a new day.
I believe the LORD has spoken to someone this day, and given a precious heart some spiritual wisdom for solving spiritual problems. It is my prayer that you will walk in amazing grace for kingdom impact this year, in Jesus’ precious name. Amen!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURAL PASSAGE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR TODAY;
“Come now, and let us reason together, “Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 1:18-20 NKJV