“When the Spiritual and Physical Meet”
Acts 19:11-41
Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. [John 18:6]
The context of this verse is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The description is unique to John’s Gospel. It provides special insight into our Lord’s willingness to take upon Himself the world’s sin. Jesus had the power to stop His arrest, yet He willingly surrendered Himself to the Cross.
“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward, and said to them, ‘Whom are you seeking?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’ And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” [John 18:4-6]
You can clearly see the warfare. Underneath the physical confrontation was a spiritual one. And this was what caused Peter to draw his physical sword. Jesus then corrected him, “Put your sword into the sheath.” It is sobering thought to consider our Lord’s response to these spiritual and physical forces of evil uniting.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” [Ephesians 6:12]
Ours is a spiritual battle, and we have been given a spiritual arsenal, a “whole armor of God” [Ephesians 6:11, 13]. It is with that spiritual arsenal that we are “able to withstand in the evil day.” [Ephesians 6:13]
The key is “praying always” [Ephesians 6:18] “in the Spirit.” Prayer is the battle.
Our Acts 19 passage this morning describes an encounter with spiritual darkness in Ephesus. It is no coincidence that Paul’s Ephesian letter was written soon after, with the closing chapter on spiritual armor and battle. As Christians we must put on the full armor of God because so often the source of physical battle is spiritual and we overlook prayer.
We must remember our powerful spiritual arsenal in the Holy Spirit. Our part is to access that arsenal and enter the battle and pray.
