Naked and Battered

Acts 19

13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

I LOVE this passage of Scripture! When we try to go up against satan on our own, we will get our tails kicked. It is ONLY through the power of Jesus the Christ that satan can be and is defeated. It is not enough to simply know about Jesus to try to defeat satan. You must know Jesus, obey the Gospel and follow Him. Otherwise, satan will beat the living snot out of you, and once again you will find yourself naked and battered. This picture of those outside of Jesus being naked (the man possessed by a legion of demons, the guy who fled from the Garden of Gethsemane, and now the seven sons of Scvea) is in stark contrast to those who have clothed themselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27). Don’t try to battle satan without clothing yourself with Christ or you will wind up naked and battered.