Acts 26:9-18 - Turning from the power of Satan to God

26:9-11

Paul then recounts his involvement in the active and zealous persecution of Christians. Interestingly, he sees it as “opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth”. It resulted in followers of Christ being imprisoned or killed, but the thing that stimulated this was the name of Jesus. Paul did all this with authority from the chief priests, ie he was not freelance, but acting under Jewish authority. Paul did this in “raging fury”.  We see the same today when some muslims persecute Christians, and , in a non physically violent manner, in the opposition of some LGBT activists to Christians who argue the Biblical view on sex and marriage. There is a loss of rationality.

26:12-18

Paul then recounts again his road to Damascus experience. He was on his way to persecute more Christians, but God had other plans and the Lord appeared to him before he got to Damascus. Jesus had appointed Paul to open the eyes of the Gentiles, “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God” that they may be saved. Sometimes preachers say that Islam is inspired by the devil, or is in some way Satanic. This is usually an unwise thing to say. Either it will be said with wrong motives or wrong understanding, or even if it is said with proper understanding it will be completely misinterpreted by those who hear. The truth is that all people who do not believe in Christ are in darkness and under the power of Satan. Being under the power of Satan in the Biblical sense, rather than the comic book sense, is something that is a very mundane thing. People sometimes get worried about a Muslim assuming some position of authority, such as Sadiq Khan becoming mayor of London, but the Biblical view is that that is no different than an atheist becoming mayor of London. The current headlong rush of the West in to moral insanity has been led by atheists/secularists, not Muslims. The power and influence of Satan is far more pervasive than we imagine, and the road to freedom is to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. And God desires that all men and women be free and receive forgiveness and eternal life.