July 18 I Wednesday

Psalms 20-22

Acts 21:1-17

“But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”  —Revelation 12:12

The devil is the most formidable enemy of all time. Jesus calls him “the prince of this world” (John 14:30), and John writes that “...the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan’s agenda was to be like God, and he has made it his mission on earth to make us believe we can be like God, mastering our own lives. When he tempted Adam and Eve, he said, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

Whether we believe it or not, we are all caught up in a cosmic scene of warfare. It is as real a battle as the physical wars taking place today. Satan and his demons are formidable foes for significant reason. They are not tangible or visible, and they consist of authorities and powers operating in the heavenly realms. We associate the heavenly realms with God and His activity, but it is also where this cosmic battle takes place and has been unleashed on earth.

We must not get the idea that God and Satan are two equal forces engaged in a dualistic cosmic fight, and that God is a bit stronger and has the edge. They are not forces of good and evil fighting equally. The differences are immense. God has no beginning, but Satan was created by God, and can only operate under God’s restraint. God is omnipresent, in all places at all times, but the devil is local in his operation and existence. His movements are limited, but while he may be in one place, his demons or fallen angels can be working in many other locations, carrying out his work.

God is omniscient. He knows everything there is to know, but the devil is clearly limited in what he knows. He certainly would have thought the winds were with him when Jesus hung on the cross, but it proved to be His undoing, because the cross is where Jesus defeated him. God is eternal, but Revelation tells us Satan, along with his angels, will be cast into the lake of fire and that will be their end. It is God’s illimitable power against a limited one. It is the Creator against the created.

In the meantime, we are to stand against the many lures of Satan in a strength that is not our own, but derives from Christ. We are not fighting for victory, but from a position of victory, which is why our defensive strategy is simply to stand firm in Christ, for only He has the power to demolish the strongholds of Satan. 

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, I know I am no match for Satan. Thank You for Christ having defeated him. Keep me standing firm in Jesus, my only defense against satanic attack. Thank You, Lord.