“When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.”
Acts 13:12 (NLT)
In Acts 13, Barnabas and Saul are on their first missionary journey. They do not just stay in one place, they go from town to town preaching in the Jewish synagogues and sharing the Word of God. When they get to Paphos, the governor invites them over because he wants to receive the Word of God. He is intrigued, and he cannot ignore what he is hearing.
But there is a false prophet there, Elymas (Bar-Jesus), a Jewish sorcerer who interferes. He is trying to block the Word of God and distract the governor from coming to the Christian faith. The governor believing that Jesus is the Son of God would put Elymas out of a job. The governor wanted good news, but the sorcerer tried to stop it. That is what the enemy does, and the opposition is not just human, it is spiritual.
As a result, the Holy Spirit in Saul makes him speak up. I believe that Saul is now called Paul because when we are filled with Holy Spirit, things change. Paul spoke the truth. He called out what the enemy was doing, and he tells Elymas how God was going to punish him. Then what Paul says comes true instantly as mist and darkness come over the man’s eyes, and he begins groping around because he can no longer see. Wow. When the power of God is on display and the Word of God has been preached, those who witness both are drawn to belief.
This is similar to what happens with Peter in Acts 5 when he recognizes the evil with Ananias and Sapphira, and the Holy Spirit strikes them dead after Peter speaks to the evil in the room. The power of God in us and upon us isn’t just for the touchy feely, miracles, or just to draw us closer to the Lord. Holy Spirit helps us have the faith, courage, and insight to stand up against evil. So today, do not run from evil and do not be scared of evil. Put your spiritual armor on (Ephesians 6), pray at all times by the Holy Spirit’s leading, and stand firm. The devil has been defeated. We serve the name above every name. And if we’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit, we can speak against evil with no fear and watch God do what he says he’s going to do.