1 Kings 20:1-21:29
Acts 12:24-13:15
Psalm 137:1-9
Proverbs 17:16
Acts 13:6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.
When the lost begin to seek after God the enemy will not be happy. The only way this man would want to hear of the word of God would be if God was drawing him. In the same way we can be sure that the false prophet would be responding to the enemy's prompting.
Acts 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
He actively tried to turn the proconsul away from God. The same thing happens today. When someone begins to ask questions about God and starts looking to understand His truths the enemy will go on full attack to try to distract and confuse them. When we are blessed to be part of the work that God is doing in the life of an unbeliever, we need to be ready to be just as active in our attack.
Acts 13:9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?
We need to armor up with prayer. Actively pray for the Holy Spirit guidance and actively surrender ourselves to respond to the Holy Spirit. We must trust the Holy Spirit to give us insight into the enemies attack as well as the seekers heart and life. And sometimes that response may be saying or doing something we would not normally say or do but if we are fully surrendered to the Spirit it will be just the right thing.
Acts 13:11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
God will fight the battle. He punished the false prophet but even more importantly He revealed Himself and showed His power to the proconsul. God will show Himself to the seeker in just the way they need to receive it and that is how the battle is won when one more person joins the family of God. It doesn't matter what happens to the servants of the enemy. We may never see the punishment. But we know that in the end the enemy & his followers lose the battle. And they will spend eternity separated from God and the body of Christ just like they wanted in this life.
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