When The Devil Knows Your Name

I used to think it would be scary for the devil to know my name. I don’t want to be on the enemy of my soul’s radar. The less he knows about me, the better.

We all know what he did to Adam and Eve.

He was given permission by God to take everything Job had and then to touch his body and cause such illness, that Job questions his very existence.

When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days an 40 nights, he tempted Him and told Him to prove that He was God. And at an opportune time, he came back and filled Judas’ heart with betrayal and eventually Jesus was hung on a tree.

Do I want the devil to know my name? Let’s just say I’m not going to make any introductions any time soon.

The other day, my boys and I had a conversation about why the devil needs to know your name. And don’t worry, it’s not like you have to go and introduce yourself to him.

There’s a story in Acts 19: 11-17 that I want to encourage you with today. It says that Paul was doing mighty works in the name of the Lord: healing the sick, diseased, and some who were demon possessed.

The power of God was so effective, people wanted it. Especially the Jewish exorcists. But they obviously didn’t know Jesus.

They had no personal relationship with Him. So what did they do? They mimicked Paul, knowing that he performed these miracles in the mighty name of Jesus. They said, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches” when they casted out demons or prayer for people.

And this is what one evil spirit said when they were trying to cast him out of a man, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

Think about this for a minute:

*These men were exorcists. They belonged to their father the devil.

*They were speaking the name of Jesus but they were not saved.

*They were trying to mimic the works of the Spirit but demonstrated no power.

And the enemy did not know them. Why? Because they weren’t a threat.

Does the devil know your name?

You see, I don’t want the devil to know my name either, but if I am working the works of God, he will.

When Christ lives in us and we belong to Him, we have authority over the enemy. In Matt 10:1, Jesus gave His disciples authority to cast out demons.

The enemy recognizes when we walk in the authority Christ gave us. He knows the pretenders compared to the power of God.

Zechariah 4:6 says, “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the Lord.” We will never be able to come against the enemy in our own name or in our own strength. It is only by the name of the Lord that we have the power and authority to stand against him.

Why should we not fear when the devil knows our name?

In verses 19:17-20 tells us. Many people found out about the men who were stripped naked and beaten by the devil. And for fell on all of them.

As a result, believers kept coming, the magicians burned their books, and the word of the Lord grew and multiplied greatly.

When the devil knows your name, that means you are changing the world.

When we decide to stand in the Lord, great things happen. As intimidating as it may sound for the devil to be aware of the impact you make for the kingdom, don’t back down from standing against him.

We must remember that Jesus told us He did great works, but we would do greater works. Why? Because the united body of Christ walking in the power of the Spirit is unstoppable. We are the church that Jesus told Peter not even the gates of hell will prevail against.

So, what do we do now?

Be strong and courageous because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!

Also, remember Romans 6:10, “The same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in you.” Walk in that power and don’t forget the enemy has no authority over you when you belong to Christ.

Know the Word of God and live it. Read the Bible daily. Ask God to help you understand it and apply it to your life. There is a lot of information out there. You cannot sift through it without the Word of God as your source of Truth.

Pray. I quoted this a couple of months ago, but 1 Peter 5:8 says, “The enemy roams like a lion seeking who he may devour”; not who he will devour. When he finds you on your knees, you are taking away his opportunity to destroy.

Close:

I hope that encourages you to make sure you walk in the power of God. It is our responsibility to stand for Truth and to stand against evil. As you do, the enemy will become aware of who you are, but you don’t have to worry about that.

Christ is your authority and He has authority over the enemy. Rise up and make the devil take notice.