God’s Superior Power: Recovering Aaron’s Rod

I wrote previously that there are two sources of supernatural power. I used the example of Moses and Aaron facing off with the magicians of Egypt in Exodus 7 to demonstrate that both God and the devil can give supernatural power to people.

When Aaron threw his rod to the ground, it was turned into a serpent by the power of God. When the Egyptian sorcerers saw this, they performed a similar miracle by their occult power. What I want to highlight in this article is the final verse in this story: “But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods” (Exodus 7:12).

Satan may have real power and he may give this power to those who knowingly or unknowingly use demonic spirits in the occult, New Age, and false religions. But God’s power is eternal and unmatched. Satan may have some power, but God has all power.

The magicians of Egypt may have been able to use demonic influence to turn their rods into snakes. They may have tapped into true spiritual power, and been able to wow people with their abilities and knowledge. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

There is a rise of supernatural activity in the earth today. What is needed to combat occult powers and supernatural influence from the kingdom of darkness? The answer: Aaron’s rod.

We don’t need to be afraid of the supernatural or run from it for fear of deception. What is needed to defeat the false is the presence of the true. We need the genuine gift of prophecy to swallow up the counterfeit of psychics, fortune-tellers, and astrologers. We need true gifts of healing to swallow up the false work of occult and New Age healing methods. As light swallows up darkness, so does true power and authority from heaven swallow up that which is illegitimate.

In Acts 8, we see a prime example of “Aaron’s rod” swallowing up the work of the enemy. Phillip the Evangelist went to Samaria and preached Christ, demonstrating the power of God’s kingdom by healing the sick and casting out demons. The result was that “the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did” (Acts 8:6). The text goes on to say that the city of Samaria had been previously under the spell of a sorcerer named Simon, who astonished the people with his supernatural powers. But when Phillip came with the true power of God, the whole city was turned to Jesus, so that even Simon the sorcerer was converted! (See Acts 8:4-13).

We need to recover “Aaron’s rod” in today’s church. We need the true power of the kingdom of God to be manifest among us, so that the counterfeit works of darkness will be exposed for what they are, and those who are under their influence will be drawn to the Father. Let’s not shy away from our supernatural inheritance as believers. Let’s pursue intimacy with God, walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and do the works of Jesus. As we do, the enemy’s works will be swallowed up in front of us!

When have you seen the power of God at work in your life, and how has it conquered the inferior power of evil?