Key Verse:
“And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’”
– Acts 19:15 (NKJV)
If this story were a movie, it would be somewhere between horror and comedy. Seven men-sons of a Jewish high priest-tried to cast out a demon using the name of Jesus, not because they knew Him, but because they heard Paul use that name. Big mistake. The demon responded, “Jesus, I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit beat them so badly they fled, bruised, bloodied, and naked.
It’s almost laughable until we realize how often we try to do the same thing. We mimic someone else’s words, copy their spiritual posture, quote their favorite Bible verse-but without their devotion, their prayer life, or their relationship with God. The sons of Sceva saw the results of Paul’s walk with God and assumed that repeating his language would bring the same results. But power in the spiritual realm doesn’t come through mimicry. It comes through intimacy.
You can’t live off someone else’s revelation. You need your own walk with God, your own secret place, your own encounters. Paul’s boldness came from time spent on his knees. His authority wasn’t just in his words-it was in his lifestyle. You can’t fake that. And when the pressure hits, or spiritual confrontation arises, you won’t be able to stand unless your faith is real.
So build it. Invest in your walk with God. Spend time in His Word. Pray in the Spirit and in your understanding. Let your faith grow-not just in public, but in private. Because in the day of testing, it’s not who you know that will save you, but what you’ve built with God. Borrowed boldness can only take you so far. Real authority must be cultivated.
Prayer:
Lord, I don’t want to pretend to know you. I want to truly walk with you. Help me to stop copying and start cultivating. Draw me into deeper intimacy with you. Teach me to build my faith in the quiet place, on my knees and in your Word. I want to carry real authority, not borrowed boldness. Strengthen me to walk with you daily and live from a place of truth and power. In Jesus’ name, amen.
