The theme of these verses is the staggering way the Kingdom of God advances in the face of opposition and decisively overwhelms the kingdom of darkness. Luke highlights the issue of syncretism in Ephesus: the action of combining multiple belief systems or aspects of cultural spirituality into a personalized cocktail of religion, much like our modern society. The central conflict between Christianity and magic can be boiled down to this question: is there something we can do that will place the “gods” in our debt, and obligate them to do our will? Christianity’s answer is decisively NO. Jesus will not be used as a means to an end like a genie. He’s the one in control. Moreover, he isn't just different from the pagan gods, he is the destroyer of the gods. He stands unique, far above, and unlike all other options. We’re the same as the people of Ephesus. We constantly live with a subconscious anxiety tied to the fragility of our idols. We don’t have little statues in your house, but we do in our hearts. And we react in extreme ways when those things are threatened. The call is to repent of our idolatry and run into the arms of the living God.