We are not a match for the enemy on our own. But the enemy is no match for God in any way, shape, or form. He’s like an ant that can go under the foot of God. Acts 19 verse 13. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We command you by the name of Yeshua, Yesus, Jesus, whom Paul preaches.
” Okay. Exorcists. When you think of exorcists, we think of a movie. We think of priests. But it means here the word actually in Greek exor exoritas. It’s one who binds by an oath. A conjure who in a sense binds spirits or by a spell. Jewish people back then there was a mystique about them because the pagan world knew there was something different about the Jewish people.
They were reluctant to say the name of God and and so people thought it it was like a magic thing, a formula. Now most people now these people who are going around we don’t know who they were but their motives weren’t right. Maybe they were doing they were doing it for other motives. They didn’t have the Lord but they’re doing it they’re doing it out of other motives.
Maybe to have fame, power, money. Most people don’t connect exorcists with Jewish people. Traditional and Orthodox Judaism definitely believes in exorcism, believes in evil spirits. But for 2,000 years, the Jewish people haven’t really had they haven’t had the power of the spirit to exercise anything. But look at this again. Verse 13.
Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it on themsel, took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus Yeshua over those who had evil spirits. We command you by the name of Yeshua whom Paul preaches. So they’re trying to cast out demons in the name of Jesus. They don’t know Jesus. They saw Paul.
They had to see Paul casting out spirits or knowing that his handkerchief cast out spirits and he’s doing it in the name of Jesus, but they don’t know Jesus. So they’re using the name of Jesus like a magic formula without knowing him. But here the motives are not right. The Lord said also on the day of judgment there will be people who come to him and say Lord we cast out spirits in your name.
