The Devil In Disguise

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,

1 “Had the gift of prophecy”

2 Attended the proconsul of the island

a Influence in the Roman government of the island

b Result of Roman superstition

3 Gave Satan an opportunity to control through him

Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ’Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’"

2 Cor. 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

a All creation is God’s

b Devil acts under God’s ultimate control

c Sinful nature of man allows him extreme latitude!

B Reacts negatively to the desire of Sergius Paulus to hear Barnabas and Paul

1 The gospel gets the devil worried

2 Many times the hindrances we face are “whos”, not “whats”!

III GOD DECLARES HIS CONTROL

Acts 13:9-12 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? 11Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable 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. 12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

A God determines the leadership of Paul

1 Up to now, Barnabas has always been the leader

2 Now Paul comes to the forefront

B Paul moves by the power of the Holy Spirit

1 Understand this is the only way to EVER do anything spiritual

2 Since we are ALWAYS at battle, we should never make ANY move apart from both the prompting and empowerment of the Holy Spirit!

C Paul reveals Elymas’ sin

1 Child of the devil – follow a defeated foe

2 Deceitful and cunning

3 Twister of the truth

1 John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

2 John 1:7-9 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.