Thurs., 1/19/17 Devotion (Acts 19:15)

Today's encouragement comes from Acts 19:15, where we read these words:

"And the evil spirit answered and said, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?' "

This verse (above) is almost a comical section of the NT. The demons were used to being expelled by the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Apostle Paul, and by all the legitimately God-called ministers of the church—but here, the evil spirit is not going to take orders from some religious pretender, who sought to exercise power he did not rightly possess.

So it is for all the true church today: the demons are subject to us (Lk. 10:17). But, for all of those outside of sincere faith in Christ, the devil runs roughshod over them (Acts 19:16). Let us who know Jesus employ our auth-ority with discretion, and for the good of others (in the church first, but also in the world).

[Puritan quote of the day: "God intermixes mercy with affliction. He steeps His sword of justice in the oil of mercy. There was no night so dark but Israel had a pillar of fire in it.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Godly Man's Picture"]