Acts 8:1-13Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) 3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. 7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” 11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.
12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.
Have you seen the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? One of many favorite scenes in the movie has Butch facing off in a knife fight against a bigger, meaner, and more menacing man. It doesn’t look good for Butch. He didn’t want to fight in the first place. But it seems he has no choice. So he does what any smart guy would do, and cheats by saying he won’t fight until they get the rules straight. When his hulking opponent says, “Rules! What rules?” Butch fights dirty and wins with fight with a kick and a single punch.
Saul doesn’t play by the rules either – except the rule of power and resources. Whoever has the most power and resources will prevail – all things being equal. And Saul is on a tear of power and resources. He has the authority to put people in prison. He has the power to drag men and women out of their homes. He’s on a roll. We who know the fuller story, however, are aware that his reign of terror won’t last forever. It may last too long for those who are hauled off to prison. It may last too long for those intimidated by his bravado and bluster. But it will come to an end.
At first this does not appear to be the action of a weak man. He has all the cards. He’s in charge. He’s in control. But this is actually the long tail of Satan’s last gasps. (Think Gandalf being caught at the last minute as yells, “Fly you fools” and Frodo and friends flee the Balrog.) Satan is defeated. He seems strong and in control. And he is the prince of this world. But his domain is closing in. He is not the King of the Universe. That title belongs to God alone.
In his weakness Satan will do anything to quash the works of God. He will fight dirty. And he’s using Saul at this moment to do just that. This is not a truth-based fight. This is not a high moral ground battle. That battle has already been won on a hill outside Jerusalem. And the Truth that was put to death there, has been raised from the dead.
Evil will always ultimately collapse under its own weight. Truth prevails. Even when evil fights dirty, it will not win the war. Saul will find that out soon enough. So the next time you are tempted to fight dirty, think again. If you have truth and the high moral ground you will prevail. I firmly believe that. I wish more of God’s people did. Do you?
David Bahn - Reflections 
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