“The Power of Submission – Not Just Saying the Name”
Scripture Reading: Acts 19:11–20 (NKJV)
Introduction:
Today I want to share a powerful story from the book of Acts — chapter 19, verses 11 through 20 — a story that reminds us what it really means to be submitted to God and not live a lukewarm life.
Because church, a lot of people want the look of power. They want the title of believer. They want to say, “I know Jesus,” but they don’t want to live submitted to Him. But the Bible says in James 4:7, “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
You see, power doesn’t come from just saying the name of Jesus — it comes from being under His authority, living holy, and walking in obedience.
The Story:
Now in Acts 19, there was a Jewish chief priest named Sceva, and he had seven sons. These men had seen the Apostle Paul operating under the power of God. Paul was healing the sick, casting out demons, and performing miracles — all in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Verse 11 says that God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul. And verse 12 tells us that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s body carried the anointing — and when they touched sick people, they were healed. When they touched the demon-possessed, the evil spirits came out. That’s how strong the power of God was moving through Paul’s life.
Now these seven sons of Sceva saw all of this. And they thought to themselves, “We can do that too.”
They didn’t pray. They didn’t repent. They didn’t submit to God. They didn’t live holy. They just saw the results and wanted to copy the power.
So one day, they found a man who was demon-possessed, and they decided to try it. They said — and this is in verse 13
“We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
Let’s stop right there. Notice what they said: “the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
Not “the Jesus we know.” Not “the Jesus we serve.” Not “our Savior Jesus.”
They tried to use someone else’s relationship with God.
That right there is the danger of being lukewarm — trying to live off borrowed faith. Trying to use someone else’s oil. Wanting the benefits of a submitted life without actually being submitted yourself.
The Confrontation:
Verse 15 says something powerful. The evil spirit spoke back and said:
“Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
Even demons recognize who truly belongs to God! They know the ones who are walking in holiness. They know the ones who live in prayer and obedience. And they also know the ones who are just pretending.
So when those seven men tried to cast that demon out, the demon-possessed man attacked them. The Bible says he leaped on them, overpowered them, and beat them so badly that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.
That’s what happens when people try to fight spiritual battles without being under spiritual authority. That’s what happens when people play church instead of living for God. When we live lukewarm, when we’re not submitted to God, the enemy can easily defeat us.
The Aftermath:
But after that happened, word spread quickly through the city of Ephesus. Everyone, both Jews and Greeks, heard about it. And the Bible says fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Many who had practiced sorcery, witchcraft, and dark magic came forward confessing their sins. They didn’t just say sorry, they repented. They brought their spell books, their witchcraft items, their idols — and burned them publicly.
That’s what true repentance looks like. When you’re really submitted to God, you don’t just say you’re sorry, you destroy what kept you bound. You don’t keep the back door open to sin. You shut it down for good.
And the Bible ends that passage by saying:
“So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” (Acts 19:20)
The Lesson:
So what’s the message here?
If you’re not fully submitted to God, you can’t walk in His authority. You can’t resist the devil on your own strength. It’s only when you’re living in obedience and filled with the Holy Ghost that demons recognize who you are.
The sons of Sceva said “Jesus whom Paul preaches.” But Paul could say, “Jesus whom I serve.” That’s the difference between imitation and relationship.
You see, the devil isn’t afraid of how loud you shout or how many times you say “Jesus.” He’s afraid of the life that’s submitted to Jesus.
And that’s why we can’t afford to live lukewarm. Revelation 3:16 says, “Because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I will spit you out of My mouth.” That means spiritual rejection. If we live halfway for God, we miss out on His full protection and His full power.
But when we live holy, when we stay under His authority — no weapon formed against us can prosper. When we’re submitted to Jesus, we walk in dominion and victory.
Closing Reflection:
So the question today is, are you living submitted, or just saying the name?
If you’ve been lukewarm, if you’ve been trying to do it your way, now’s the time to come back under God’s authority. Because submission is not weakness, submission is power.
When you submit to God, you’re saying, “Lord, You lead, I’ll follow. You speak, I’ll obey. You command, and I’ll move.”
And when you live that way, the same power that worked through Paul, the same power that made demons tremble, the same power that turned Ephesus upside down, that power will live in you.
Stay submitted. Stay holy. Stay filled with His Spirit.
Because that’s where the real power is, in Jesus’ name.
