VICTORY OVER EVIL SPIRITS

Text: ACTS 19:13-20

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INTRODUCTION:

1. We are living in what has been called a skeptical age. Modern-day sophisticates do not believe in the supernatural. They know the Bible speaks often of a literal, personal Devil but they do not believe the Bible is the Word of God.
2. In fact most people do not even believe in God. Oh, they might say they believe in God, but their god is not the God of the Bible.
3. Their god is a weak, sentimental Santa Claus-type of god who never judges sin. The god of the wicked only exists to make them happy and prosperous. Their god is not the God of the Bible (cf. Deut.32:16,17).
4. And if you or I try and bring to their attention that they are being deceived by devils, they laugh us to scorn and call us "religious fanatics," "extremists," "intolerant fundamentalists," etc.
5. Modern man refuses to submit to God or to the authority of the Bible. He dismisses all talk of Satan and demons as fairy tales and mythology.
6. But I am here to tell you today that God’s Word is real. And God’s Word clearly tells us that Satan is real. And demons (called "evil spirits" here in Acts 19:12,13,15,16) are real. And hell is real. And God is real.
7. We are engaged in a battle. A spiritual conflict, that has been raging since Satan rebelled against God. Those who want victory over Satan and his evil spirits must go to the Word of God and obey the Word of God.
8. I believe with all my heart that we are now on the threshold of an occult invasion unprecedented since the days of our Lord.
9. British and American missionaries would go overseas and see firsthand the horrors of demon-possession. And they would come back home and report it to the churches. And Christian people in Great Britain and America would be shocked because they had never seen this sort of thing beforehand.
10. But we are seeing it now. Almost every day we hear about some maniac who pushes an innocent bystander in front of a subway car or throws a brick at a lady for no reason and we hear of children killing their teachers and classmates and sometimes even their own parents. And when asked why they did it, they invariably say, "I heard voices telling me to do it."
11. We must ask: "Where are these voices coming from?" Worldly, unsaved psychiatrists tell us these people are psychotic and that the voices are imaginary. But I believe demons, what the Bible calls "devils" or "evil spirits" or "unclean spirits" are behind it.

1. EVIL SPIRITS ARE REAL.

1. The Bible has much to say about evil spirits. They are angelic beings.
2. All angels were created by God, good and holy (Genesis 1:31).
3. But some of the angels rebelled against God and followed Satan. These are referred to as "his angels" (Rev.12:7-9; cf. Matt.25:41).
4. These fallen angels (called evil spirits or unclean spirits or demons or devils) are employed in the execution of Satan’s purposes, which are diametrically opposed to God’s purposes.
5. For example, God wants to save sinners but the devil wants to send them to hell. God wants to help sinners and heal them and clean them up and transform them into saints. But the devil wants to degrade them and ruin them and destroy them and turn them into filthy, depraved wretches (cf. Mark 9:17-29).
6. God wants people to come to church and hear the Gospel preached and God wants to save souls; but the devil hates all of this and does everything in his power to keep people from coming to church and hearing the Gospel and getting saved, etc.
7. And Satan is powerful and so are his demons. Which brings us to my next point (Acts 19:13-16).

2. EVIL SPIRITS ARE POWERFUL (ACTS 19:13-16).

1. We should never underestimate the power of evil spirits. Read carefully Acts 19:15. "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" Demons are very intelligent. They get around. They have been around a long time. They know how to work on people.
2. And look again at 19:16. "And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them…"
3. Let me say this as plainly as I possibly can. Demons cause physical and mental disorders. Most of the disturbed people we see walking around today got that way as a result of two things: sin and demons (cf. Mark 5:1-20; Luke 9:37-42).
4. As I was preparing to put together this message an article in the NY POST caught my attention. It was entitled, "Magic potions spell trouble." The gist of the article is that the metallic mercury and other toxic chemicals used in the magic potions of the Santeria cult cause brain and kidney damage, tremors, memory loss, and sometimes even death. The article was informative and gave a strong warning of the health dangers involved in the occult, but no warnings about the spiritual dangers involved.
5. But the spiritual dangers can be far worse than the physical dangers. And the spiritual dangers always include physical dangers as well. Dabbling in the occult often leads to irrational behaviour, seizures, insanity, violent and destructive behaviour, dizziness, anxiety attacks, and oftentimes suicide or other unusual deaths.
6. The Bible often refers to demons as "unclean spirits," suggesting that they lead people into moral impurity (cf. Acts 5:16).
7. If you anything about occultism, then you know that there is a close connection between immorality and false religion. Back in the OT, we read of religious prostitutes enticing men at the heathen temple.
8. That was bad enough, but even homosexuality was practiced and incorporated into their religious ceremonies (cf. II Kings 23:4-7).
9. Unclean spirits are behind all of this wickedness. In fact, demons are behind all occultism, all idolatry, all Santeria, all witchcraft, and all false religion (I Tim.4:1; I Cor.10:19-21; Acts 16:16-19; 19:13-20).
10. As Christians, we must have absolutely nothing to do with fortune-telling, ouiji boards, astrology, tarot cards, spiritualism (necromancy), or any kind of sorcery or witchcraft (Deut.18:9-12).
11. Some Christians have had some of these things in their background. Some churches teach that a curse is passed down from generation to generation (Ex.20:4,5). Beloved, this is true to a certain extant, but we must emphasize that this curse can be broken if we repent of our sin and get right with God and throw out all things that are displeasing to God (cf. Ex.20:6).
12. This brings us to my third and final point.

3. HOW TO HAVE VICTORY OVER EVIL SPIRITS (ACTS 19:17-20).

1. A few years ago, Pastor Sawyer preached from this text and told his members, "Come back tonight and we will burn all the wicked things in your homes" (cf. Acts 19:19).
2. Many people returned and they threw into the furnace all sorts of wicked things including rock and roll records and tapes and CD’s.
3. Some people here might hesitate and say, "But my record collection is worth thousands of dollars!" That should not be an issue if you love God. The magic books that they burned in Ephesus was worth "50,000 pieces of silver" (Acts 19:19). That would be many thousands of dollars today.
4. Let me remind you that victory only comes through complete obedience, not partial obedience.
5. There are Christians who are experiencing turmoil, spiritual battles, sickness, emotional problems, etc. Check your house. Check your family. Are there still traces of the old life lingering around?
6. Check your children. What kind of TV cartoons and programs do you allow them to watch? Most of these new programs are weird and devilish. What about the Internet? Satan is preparing people for the antichrist.
7. Check your homes. Is there perhaps some idol or statue or a picture or some potion or a candle or charms or occult books? Occultism is delusive, deceptive, dirty, disappointing, demonic and dangerous.
8. And what about worldly music? Or alcohol or other drugs? Or dirty videos or magazines? Or jewelry with occult symbols?
9. Or JW literature? Or Mormon or other occultic literature?
10. God knows what you have in your home. And so do the evil spirits. And they will not leave you alone till you make a clean break with all wickedness.
11. Here is another article from a Florida paper that I got off the Internet: "Pokemon Craze Has Dark Side."

CONCLUSION:

1. Whenever the apostle Paul came to town, one of two things happened: there was either a revival or a riot.
2. In this case there was both (Acts 19:20,23ff).
3. I do not want to see a riot, but a revival.
4. But there can be no true revival until God’s people get right. We must have the fear of God and genuine repentance (Acts 19:17-20).