SATAN HAS NO POWER OF YOU

SCRIPTURE:

“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”  And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.  7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelation 12:1—9)

OBSERVATION:

            The revelation shown to John by Jesus reveals things that are beyond the seeing world.  John talks about things that are happening in the heavens about a woman who is about to give birth to a child and a dragon who appears to want to destroy that child.  There is warfare going on that most people have no idea about.  The image of the dragon is quite frightening.  It stood right in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

            A male child was born “who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”  But as soon as the child was born and before the dragon had a chance to devour the child, he was SNATCHED UP TO GOD AND TO HIS THRONE.  The woman fled to the wilderness to a place God had PREPARED for her so that she might be taken care of. 

            John also saw a war broke out in heaven.  Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  BUT HE WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH, and THE LOST THEIR PLACE IN HEAVEN.  The dragon was hurled down to the earth and his angels with him.  This scenario is just eye-opening to me and brought forth the realization of a world that I don’t see nor do I think of most of my daily life.  The dragon is also known as the devil, who is always around and about to seek to destroy life.  I am reminded of this warfare that is as real as the world that we live in.

            My takeaway from this word is Spiritual warfare is real.  The unseen world is real.  The dragon and his forces hate life.  It especially hates the life of those who are Christ’s.  It will continue to wage a warfare of destruction and turmoil in the lives of people.  However, I am reminded that God discharged his angels on our behalf as we face the dragon and his cohort. 

            The end of the warfare in heaven reveals to us that though the dragon has the strength to attack, HE IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH.  God discharged Michael and his cohort of angels to care for the fleeing woman by going to war with the dragon.  The dragon loses the battle all the time to God’s host of angels that he discharges on our behalf.  God will always take care of us even as the devil seeks to devour and destroy us. 

            We are in a daily spiritual warfare.  We must also realize daily that our God continues to fight on our behalf.  We face daily challenges and temptations that sometimes are overwhelming.  However, I am reminded that for every attack, temptation, and difficulty the devil wants to bring, God is already taking care of it.  God is never too late to respond in times of difficulties.  God is always present to snatch us out of danger.  I can’t win the war against the world that I cannot see, but God does.  The good news is that he LIVES IN ME.  We are safe in his hand, and no one will snatch us out of his hand.  We live in victory in Jesus’ name.

APPLICATION:

            I am reminded today to walk with a sense of awareness that there is a spiritual warfare being waged against me daily.  The dragon, the devil, always seeks to wage war and make me stumble.  I need to see life not only in the physical but daily in the spiritual.  I want to be aware daily of the work of Satan but not to be fearful of his tactics.  I will continue to be impressed with the power of God to deliver and to hide and cover me in times of trouble and harassment from the devil. 

PRAYER:

            Jesus, thank you for the revelation that you have given John to help me see that Satan continues to work against us.  Thank you for the confidence that we have in you to cover us, to snatch us away from the enemy’s harm, and to go to battle for us.  I pray that you continue to remind me of how important the unseen battle is and to be confident in your power to keep us.  I look to you daily.  Amen!