READING: Acts 24-26
It’s just one verse in the book of Acts, but it’s packed with information. The apostle Paul was telling his testimony to King Agrippa, and he quoted Jesus’ words to him on the road to Damascus: “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).
Listen to the truths in this text. First, non-believers are in the enemy’s kingdom apart from the grace of God. They are in darkness and under the power of Satan. In that sense, non-believers don’t face spiritual warfare until they hear the gospel. Before that point, they’re already under the enemy’s control. He blinds them, deceives them, and holds them in the darkness that characterizes children of wrath (Eph 2:3).
Second, God has chosen to use human vessels to open blinded eyes of non-believers. For some reason we likely can’t figure out, He uses people like Paul — a former murderer who hated God’s people before his own conversion. He even uses people like you and me, calling us, empowering us, and sending us into the enemy’s kingdom to rescue those caught in bondage.
Then, the combination of the two thoughts above helps us to understand the intensity of warfare in the lives of believers. We are God’s plan to take His message to the nations. He has given us no other plan, so it’s not a surprise that the enemy aims his arrows at us. If he can defeat us, he temporarily experiences victory. Lead us to sin, and our poor witness weakens the credibility of our message. Distract us, and we fail to evangelize in the first place. Divide us, and we fight more than we proclaim. Whatever his strategy, the enemy wants to keep us from doing evangelism and making disciples. That way, he keeps non-believers under his thumb.
ACTION STEPS:
- Determine how the enemy keeps you from doing evangelism and making disciples. Sinfulness? Laziness? Apathy? Disbelief? Distraction?
- Hold yourself accountable to someone who will help you intentionally do evangelism. By your obedience to the Great Commission, stand against the enemy.
PRAYER: “God, help me to tell others the Good News. Free blinded people from the enemy’s power.”
TOMORROW'S READING: Acts 27-28
