Unstoppable! 'Taking Every Argument Captive' — Acts 13:11-12

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

[Paul continued his confrontation with Elymas, the evil sorcerer, and told him:] "Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time." Instantly mist and darkness came over the man's eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.

When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

— Acts 13:11-12 NLT

Key Thought

When confronted with evil powers used by Elymas, Paul identified them, confronted them, and punished them. He broke the false reasoning and the evil power behind Elymas' perversion of God's truth, then took the false reasoning and evil power captive for the sake of Sergius Paulus, the governor, so that he could know the liberating power of our the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must not pretend that demonic power and the manifestation of evil power in human beings are no longer real. But we also must not forget that Jesus came to liberate us from the "dominion of darkness" and bring us into his Kingdom of light.* We must shun dabbling or playing with things identified with demons and evil and must confront these tendencies in others to keep the powers of darkness from seeping into our relationships and confusing our understanding of God's truth.

* See the Related Scripture Readings below for key passages on confronting demonic power.

Today's Prayer

Dear Father, forgive me when my vigilance toward sin and evil wanes. Keep my heart pure and unstained by wickedness, perversion, and self-deception. I want to serve you, Lord Jesus, with wholehearted devotion. I want my influence to be a blessing to others and never a stumbling block to them. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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Illustration

Illustration of Acts 13:11-12 NLT — [Paul continued his confrontation with Elymas, the evil sorcerer, and told him:] "Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time." Instantly mist and darkness came over the man's eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

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About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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