There are two very important things we can learn from the seven sons of Sceva: 1) Satan knows who you are (and who you aren’t). The demons in this man spoke to the sons of Sceva, saying, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ (Acts 19:15 NKJV). We need to ask ourselves if we have the kind of relationship with God that causes Satan to know our names, and acknowledge that we're a force to be reckoned with. When God asked Satan, ‘Have you noticed my servant, Job?’ he replied, ‘Yes, and every time I come up against him I hit a force field I can’t penetrate’ (Job 1:8-12, paraphrased). If we can only focus on our own inadequacy, think we’re not up to the job, or that we’re not good enough, we need to take note of this fact: it’s not you the enemy’s afraid of – it’s God’s Spirit within you. 2) When ‘the evil day’ comes, you discover if you have what it takes. Paul said, ‘Put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground’ (Ephesians 6:13 NIVUK). The demons in the man recognised the weaknesses in the seven sons of Sceva and stripped them of their pretence. We can only survive if our faith is genuine, because one day we'll have to walk with God when we can't understand or explain where He’s taking us. Our own strategies and talents won’t get us through. We'll have to stand on His Word when it doesn’t look like it’s working for us. That’s when we discover it’s ‘“not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord’ (Zechariah 4:6 NIV).
Read the verses about the armour of God in Ephesians 6:10-18 as part of your regular morning routine to help you prepare for the day ahead.