Are YOU a Nuisance to the Devil (Acts 19)?

The inspiration for this post comes from T. Austin-Sparks' Daily Open Windows (courtesy Emmanuel Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA), p. 134, and from my pastor, David O'Steen, who is teaching through Acts on Wednesday evenings.

"The Holy Spirit is positive, and not negative, and if the Holy Spirit is really Lord in  our lives, our lives will count for something.  There will be an influence from our lives which will be eternal.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit!  Let us be sure to ask the Lord that the anointing shall have a free way in our lives.  The effect of the Holy Spirit may be to condemn some people, and it may be to redeem others, but He cannot be neutral, and if the anointing is upon you and upon me, the devil will take account of it.  May the Lord help us to see that that may not be a bad thing!  Do you want the devil to say:  'Oh, that man, that woman, does not matter.  You need not bother about him, or her!'  I had a friend once who, whenever we were parting and going our different ways, took hold of my hand and said: 'Goodbye, old man. The Lord make you a nuisance to the devil!'  Well, that is how it will be if the Holy Spirit is really upon us, for that it how it was with the Lord Jesus."

[Doctrinal note: the only Pauline reference to anointing is to one that all believers received at salvation, per 2 Cor. 1:21 (note "hath anointed us...hath...given the...Spirit in our hearts").  I think that Sparks may be referring to the anointing in 1 John 2:27, which is not doctrinally aimed at the body of Christ, but rather to kingdom saints in the first century historically and to saints in the great tribulation prophetically.]

"A nuisance to the devil" reminded me of what the devil-possessed man said to the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:15, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?"  The Lord Jesus and Paul, respectfully were nuisances to the devil:

1.  The Lord Jesus "went about healing all that were oppressed of the devil" according to Peter in Acts 10:38.

2.  Handkerchiefs and aprons that merely touched Paul's body were used to exorcise evil spirits in Ephesus (Acts 19:12), so I assume that many such spirits were exorcised there.  Paul had also exorcised at Philippi (Acts 16:18) and likely other places. 

It's not necessary, of course, to exorcise to be a nuisance to the devil.  Faithfully preaching the gospel will also do it (Acts 24:5--a pestilent fellow), and also a powerful prayer life (Eph. 6:12, 18). 

The Lord make YOU a nuisance to the devil!