Acts 16:16-40
THE GATE OF A PRISON CELL "After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully" (16:23).
PAUL and Silas find themselves flogged and in prison. They have battled the gates of hell in many forms. Now, it touches their skin. They are really behind bars now. This, however, seems to make no difference with these two men. We find them praying and singing right after their flogging. We may wonder if they know the meaning of pain!
The irony of it all is that Paul and Silas bring the jailer, who guards them, to faith. This is possible because Paul and Silas do not regard him as an enemy. They know one important fact, and they have this fact before them all the time. In the words of Paul, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against...the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12).
When we serve the Lord, and we encounter physical obstructions, or people who stand in our way, we may be tempted to direct our anger at these people or objects that stand in our way. When we do that, we will be battling against the wrong thing.
When someone attacks our faith, we are under obligation to defend it. Some defend it by attacking the people who oppose our faith. These may win the debate, but they have little hope of winning the person.
Paul fights the spiritual battle for keeps. He is not battling the prison cell. He is battling for the souls of all he comes into contact with. This time around, he wins not because the prison doors are thrown open, but because he wins the jailer to the Lord.
This principle is not new for Jesus Christ asks the Father to forgive those who nail Him to the cross. The difficulty comes when we are in great pain. When Christ is in pain, He continues to reach out to those around Him. When Paul and Silas are in pain, they continue to minister. They have true freedom for they are doing what they want to do even when in jail!
HELL HAS NO BARS GREAT ENOUGH TO HOLD US!