In Acts 19:13-16, we read about the seven sons of Sceva, who were overpowered by an evil spirit. Who were the seven sons of Sceva? The seven sons of Sceva were sons of the Jewish chief of the priests Sceva and part of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, who went from place to place employing a formula of conjuration to expel demons. When they entered a house to deliver a person from an evil spirit, the sons of Sceva used the Name of Jesus, Whom Paul preached, and expected to have the same result as Paul, who preached and brought the Kingdom of God at that moment in Ephesus, whereby everyone who resided in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks, and God performed miracles by the hand of Paul. But the evil spirit leaped upon the seven sons of Sceva and overcame the sons of Sceva and prevailed against them, which wasn’t the case with Paul. Why did the evil spirit overcome the sons of Sceva? What did the seven sons of Sceva do wrong? Why did the sons of Sceva fail to overpower the evil spirit?
Paul was born again in Christ, the High Priest
Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded (Acts 19:13-16)
Paul was born again in Christ, the Son of God, High Priest and King, and the Holy Spirit dwelled in him. He was a son of God and belonged to the Kingdom of God.
Paul spoke and acted from his position in Christ from the Kingdom of God and knew who he was in Him (a.o. Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 1:20-22; 5:21; 13:5-6, Ephesians 1:4, Colossians 1:19; 2:6-10).
Paul had submitted himself to Jesus and had a relationship with Jesus and obeyed His commandments and was His witness on earth.
Because of that, Paul was a threat and danger to the devil and his kingdom and those, who belonged to the devil and darkness. They did all they could, to stop Paul.
But despite all the resistance and persecution by the devil and those, who belong to the devil and darkness, Paul continued and preached and brought the gospel of Jesus Christ and called the people, both the Jews and the Greeks, to repentance.
The seven sons of Sceva were born of the chief priest Sceva
Paul was known by the devil and the evil spirits, but the seven sons of Seva were not known by the devil and the evil spirits.
Although they were born of the seed of the tribe of Levi and were sons of the chief of priests and through natural birth had a particular position in the house of Israel and acted from this earthly position, their natural position didn’t mean anything to the devil and demons.
Just like in our age, being a son or daughter of a preacher, evangelist, prophet, etc., or earning a master’s degree or Ph.D. or other degree doesn’t mean a thing to the devil and has no value in the spiritual realm.
That’s because the spiritual warfare between the Kingdom of God and the darkness, doesn’t take place in the natural realm, but in the spiritual realm.
The result (effect) of the spiritual warfare may be seen in the natural realm, but the origin (cause) isn’t. You can only see this through the spirit of man, who is raised from the dead through regeneration in Christ, and the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in the new man.
Paul was spiritual, but the seven sons of Sceva were carnal
The sons of Sceva were not born again in Christ, the High Priest, and didn’t act in the authority of Christ, but they were carnal and spoke and acted what they had heard with their ears and seen with their eyes.
They had heard the preaching of Paul and seen the miracles, which God performed through the hands of Paul, and they thought they could do the same, by using the same Name, which Paul preached, namely the Name of Jesus, and get the same result as Paul.
And so the seven sons of Sceva tried to take authority over the evil spirits from their position of the old man, who is below the angels, and tried to use another formula, then the formula they were used to, to expel demons. They used the Name of Jesus, Whom Paul preached, while they didn’t know Jesus personally and were not born again in Him and seated in Him, but they were still the old creation.
The evil spirit knew Jesus and knew about Paul, but the evil spirit didn’t know the seven sons of Sceva
The evil spirit knew Jesus and knew about Paul, but the evil spirit didn’t know the seven sons of Sceva. Instead of taking authority over the evil spirit, the evil spirit took authority over the seven sons of Sceva.
Although the seven sons of Sceva were born of the chief of the priests and had a certain position and carnal authority in the natural realm, they lacked spiritual authority. They didn’t have a clue what they were doing and played with the spiritual authorities, which can be very dangerous.
Since the evil spirit was so much stronger than they were, the evil spirit leaped on the seven sons of Sceva and overcame them and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Act from your position in Christ
And just like the seven sons of Sceva, there are many Christians, who maybe believe, but are not born again in Christ and don’t live and act from their position of the new man, but from their position of the old man (fallen man) and use the Name of Jesus as some kind of formula in order to achieve something or receive something.
They use words, technics, and formulas that they heard during service, a seminar or conference, or education and/or may have read in Christian books.
They gather information and insights from the natural world, but they don’t have any knowledge or insights into the spiritual realm themselves. Because of that, they act from the knowledge, wisdom, and experiences of others instead of from Christ and the Holy Spirit.
They apply all they heard and saw from their carnal state as the old man and because of that they are just like the seven sons of Sceva, an easy target for the devil and darkness (Read also: A technical faith and Religion or relation?)
But you can only do the works from your position in Christ and your relationship with Jesus Christ; the Word and the Holy Spirit.
Only through regeneration in Christ and by walking in Him after the Spirit, you are seated in Christ above the (fallen) angels and you have received spiritual authority and power over the devil and (fallen) angels.
In Christ, you have been given all authority over spiritual powers, principalities, and rulers of the darkness, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Jesus has given this promise to those, who belong to Him and follow Him and are His disciples and belong to His Body (a.o. Luke 10:19, Ephesians 1:20-23).
False doctrines that show fear and hinder the Kingdom of God
There are false doctrines that use the story of the seven sons of Sceva to sow fear and make you afraid of spiritual warfare and the devil and evil spirits and cause you to stay away from the things Jesus has commanded you to do, like supplication and militant prayer, evangelizing, healing the sick and casting out devils.
These false doctrines make you believe that demons will leap on you, when you mess with them and command them to leave.
But if you are born again in Christ and the Holy Spirit abides in you and you know who God is and who you are in Christ and what authority and power and inheritance you have received in Him, you have nothing to be afraid of, because He that lives in you is stronger than he who is in the world.
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)
If you are not born again and are not seated in Christ, you don’t have any authority and power in the spiritual realm. When you do try to take authority from your carnal position over evil spirits, then instead of taking authority over evil spirits, the evil spirits will take authority over you, just like they did with the seven sons of Sceva.
Should you be afraid to do what Jesus has commanded you to do? No, absolutely not! But you must know who God is, Who Jesus Christ is and the authority of Christ and who you are in Him and what authority you have received in Christ and what power you have received by the Holy Spirit
Jesus has all authority in heaven and in earth
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:8-10)
Jesus has all authority in heaven and in earth and if you are seated in Him and stay in Him, you have all authority in Him and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Just like Jesus and His disciples, who were never overpowered by evil spirits, as the sons of Sceva were overpowered by evil spirits, but they were overcomers and took authority over them
‘Be the salt of the earth’
