Apostle Paul had a showdown with a false prophet and demonic guard. Elymas was a demonic guard that wished to keep the governor of the Island from hearing the Gospel of Christ. He opposed the apostolic team of Paul and Barnabas. "Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith" (Acts 13:8). The Greek word withstood is anthistemi, meaning to set against, withstand, resist and intensely oppose. This reveals Elymas' demonic objectives:
- Guard the territory against Christ' truth.
- Keep the people in spiritual ignorance.
- Influence the governing leadership.
- Oppose Christ' ministers.
- Turn hearts away from Christ and His truth.
Have you experienced anything like this before? Elymas postured himself as a prophetic voice to deceive the people. He was a voice, but a demonic one. Facing one another in fierce opposition were God's apostolic team and Satan's territorial representative.
Governing authority versus governing authority. Elymas challenged Barnabas and Saul just as the magicians in Pharaoh's court withstood Moses and Aaron. Scripture describes demonic guards as men that resist truth with corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith" (2 Timothy 3:8). Scripture makes clear there are unseen battles raging in the spirit realm for the souls of mankind. Apostolic teams, however, are God's battle-ax to reach a lost and dying world with the truth of the Gospel (Jeremiah 51:20). Apostolic teams...
- Face demonic guards.
- Claim new territories for Christ.
- Restore forgotten truth.
- Preach the resurrection of Christ.
- Impart spiritual gifts (Romans 1:11).
- Demonstrate that the Kingdom of God has arrived.
- Spearhead Gospel operations.
- Equip believers for battle and victorious occupation.
- Get people baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Apostolic leaders are not ignorant of the devil's devices and have been gifted to see beyond the natural and into the spiritual. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).
Saul dealt with Elymas. Saul, filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on Elymas. Saul was not trying to be a nice statesman for Jesus when dealing with this false prophet. He called Elymas a child of the devil and an enemy of righteousness. This is Holy Ghost boldness and apostolic authority in demonstration.
"Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtlety (subtlety means difficult to detect) and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand" (Acts 13:9-11).
This was a demonstration of the Spirit of God that sent this apostolic team into battle. A demonic government cannot stand against the purpose, power, and plan of God. This gives us evidence that the gates of hell can not prevail!
(c) Your partner,
Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com
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