Sa Acts 19:13-16, Nabasa namin ang tungkol sa pitong anak na lalaki ni Sceva, na labis na pinalakas ng isang masamang espiritu. Na pitong anak na lalaki ni Sceva? The seven sons of Sceva were sons of the Jewish chief of the priests Sceva and part of the vagabond Jews, mga exorcist, 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? Ano ang ginawa ng pitong anak na lalaki ni Sceva? Why did the sons of Sceva fail to overpower the evil spirit?
Paul was born again in Christ, ang Punong Pari
Pagkatapos ay tiyak sa mga Vagabond Hudyo, mga exorcist, kinuha sa kanila upang tawagan ang mga ito na may masasamang espiritu ang pangalan ng Panginoong Jesus, kasabihan, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. At mayroong pitong anak na lalaki ng isang Sceva, isang Hudyo, at pinuno ng mga pari, Alin ang gumawa nito. At ang masamang espiritu ay sumagot at sinabi, Si Jesus ay kilala ko, At si Paul alam ko; Ngunit sino si Ye? At ang taong kung saan ang masamang espiritu ay lumukso sa kanila, at tanggapin ang mga ito, at nanaig laban sa kanila, upang tumakas sila sa labas ng bahay na hubad at nasugatan (Mga Gawa 19:13-16)
Paul was born again in Christ, ang Anak ng Diyos, 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 (Oh. Mga Gawa 17:28, 1 Mga taga-Corinto 8:6, 2 Mga taga-Corinto 1:20-22; 5:21; 13:5-6, Mga Taga-Efeso 1:4, Mga taga-Colosas 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.
Dahil doon, 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, sa pagsisisi.
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, ebanghelista, isang propeta, atbp., 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, ngunit sa espirituwal na larangan.
Ang resulta (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, at ang Espiritu Santo, Na naninirahan sa bagong tao.
Paul was spiritual, but the seven sons of Sceva were carnal
The sons of Sceva were not born again in Christ, ang Punong Pari, 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, upang tumakas sila sa labas ng bahay na hubad at nasugatan.
Act from your position in Christ
And just like the seven sons of Sceva, Maraming mga Kristiyano, 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 (nahulog na tao) and use the Name of Jesus as some kind of formula in order to achieve something or receive something.
They use words, teknolohiya, 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. Dahil doon, they act from the knowledge, karunungan, 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 (Basahin din: Isang teknikal na pananampalataya at Relihiyon o relasyon?)
But you can only do the works from your position in Christ and your relationship with Jesus Christ; ang Salita at ang Espiritu Santo.
Only through regeneration in Christ and by walking in Him after the Spirit, you are seated in Christ above the (nahulog) angels and you have received spiritual authority and power over the devil and (nahulog) mga anghel.
kay Kristo, you have been given all authority over spiritual powers, mga pamunuan, and rulers of the darkness, at wala sa anumang paraan ang makakasakit sa iyo. Jesus has given this promise to those, who belong to Him and follow Him and are His disciples and belong to His Body (Oh. Luke 10:19, Mga Taga-Efeso 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.
Kayo ay sa Diyos, maliliit na bata, at nagtagumpay sila: because greater is He that is in you, kaysa siya na nasa mundo (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? Hindi, ganap na hindi! 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
At dumating si Jesus at nagsalita sa kanila, kasabihan, Lahat ng kapangyarihan ay ibinibigay sa akin sa langit at sa lupa. Go ye samakatuwid, at turuan ang lahat ng mga bansa, bininyagan ang mga ito sa pangalan ng Ama, at ng Anak, at ng Espiritu Santo: Ituro mo sa kanila na tuparin ang lahat ng bagay na iniutos ko sa iyo: at, lo, lagi akong kasama mo, maging hanggang sa katapusan ng mundo. Amen (Mateo 28:18-20)
Mag-ingat na baka masira ka ng sinuman sa pamamagitan ng pilosopiya at walang kabuluhang panlilinlang, pagkatapos ng tradisyon ng mga tao, pagkatapos ng mga simulain ng mundo, at hindi pagkatapos ni Kristo. Sapagka't sa Kanya ay naninirahan ang lahat ng kabuuan ng katawan ng Diyos. At ikaw ay kumpleto sa kanya, na siyang pinuno ng lahat ng punong -guro at kapangyarihan (Mga taga-Colosas 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
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