Summary
Awestruck: The Name of Jesus, the Seven Sons of Sceva, and the Reality of the Demonic
In Acts 19:11-20, Luke records one of the more startling episodes of the early church. God was working extraordinary miracles through the Apostle Paul in Ephesus—so much so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were carrying healing to the sick. Notice the grammar of grace: God did the miracles through Paul. Paul was the agent; God was the author. These signs and wonders served a particular purpose at a particular moment in salvation history. Before the New Testament had been written and codified, God validated the apostolic message by miraculous attestation, exactly as Hebrews 2:3-4 describes. Today the Scriptures themselves are the standard by which we test every message—so do not expect a blessed handkerchief in the mail.
Into this scene step the seven sons of Sceva, itinerant Jewish exorcists who collected impressive-sounding incantations from every religion they encountered. The name of Jesus, to them, was simply one more spell to add to the repertoire. They tried it: "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." The reply from the evil spirit is unforgettable: "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" The man with the evil spirit then leapt on them and overpowered them so that they fled the house naked and wounded. The name of Jesus is not a magical formula to be wielded by unbelievers; it is the holy name of the living Lord, and God will not allow it to be co-opted into the schemes of charlatans. As the lesson draws out, the demons knew exactly who Jesus was from day one—even while the disciples were still struggling to understand. Compare Mark 1:24, Acts 16:17, and Luke 4:41.
Are demons real, and are they still active today? Yes. Scripture identifies Satan and his demons as fallen angels, and it consistently distinguishes demonic affliction from ordinary sickness ("all who were sick or oppressed by demons," Mark 1:32). The demonic seeks to occupy—a person, an animal, even a place, as when the legion begged to enter the swine Matthew 8:31. Scripture also shows a distinction between spiritual oppression (Judas, into whom Satan entered, though he walked and talked normally) and physical possession (the boy of Mark 9 thrown into convulsions). Our culture's fascination with the demonic in films and television only confirms that this is no ancient superstition we have outgrown.
But the gospel sounds the decisive note. Christ has come into a world riddled with sin and evil; He has died on the cross, paid the debt of sin, and risen from the tomb. Satan and his demons have lost, and they know their days are numbered. They may still oppress, tempt, coax, and accuse, but they cannot prevail against the Lord who indwells His people. Can a Christian be possessed by a demon? No—because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself dwells within the baptized believer, and there is simply no room for another tenant.
The closing movement of the Ephesus account traces the pattern of every genuine encounter with the holiness of God: praise, confession, action, and victory. "Everyone was awestruck, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled" Acts 19:17. Many believers came confessing and disclosing their practices. Repentance bore fruit in action—those who had practiced magic gathered their books, worth fifty thousand pieces of silver, and burned them publicly. And the result: "So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily" Acts 19:20.
That is the word for us as well. The world spends a great deal of energy talking about the devil and the demonic; let the Church speak all the more about Jesus. The grace and victory that are ours in Him are reason enough to be, in the truest sense of that wonderful word, awestruck.
Video citations
- "Awestruck" — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the 19th chapter of the Book of Acts? The seven sons of Skiva. Those band of boys were bad news. They were exorcists that went around, traveling…