Monday, August 9, 2010

Daily Light - August 9, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying:
'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?'"
Isaiah 14:16

Do you remember the Scooby-Doo cartoons from years ago? The entire theme was a group of teenagers traveling around in a van and stumbling upon mysteries that involved ghosts and monsters. Of course they always solved the mystery in spite of Shaggy and Scooby's bumbling antics. At the end of each program the "bunch of meddling kids" would reveal who it was behind the paranormal mystery. It was always someone that you had seen earlier in the program like Mr. Smith the janitor. Everything that had happened was a hoax and the "monster" was really a powerless person with a bunch of cheap tricks up his sleeve.
We as Christians most definitely have an enemy. The reason that we have an enemy is because God has an enemy. Satan, one of God's created beings, rebelled against the Almighty and was cast out of Heaven with the other angels that had joined him. Mankind encounters him first in the Garden of Eden when he denies God's Word and convinces Adam and Eve to turn away from what they know is right. Since that time Satan has been on the prowl seeking whom he may devour. He is trying each day to destroy marriages, the lives of young people, churches, etc. He is often depicted as dark, formidable, and with unlimited power. There has been for centuries a fascination with the darkness of the occult. Satan has literally struck fear into the lives of men, women, boys and girls. He thrives on this fear because it makes him more fascinating and even appealing to so many.
The Bible of course warns us in Ephesians 6 to be ready to battle the enemy. He does have power, and he can destroy lives if we submit to him. However, there are other passages that show us how limited his power is. Romans 8:31 says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" 1 John 4:4 confirms, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." The passage above from Isaiah explains to us that one day God will cast Satan into the pit for eternity. At that moment, in his terror and doom, we will see how weak Satan really is. We will at this moment also know the glory and power of God like never before, and we will see Satan in all of his weakness. He cannot do anything without the permission of the Almighty (see Job). He has no ability to condemn a soul to hell; unbelief in Christ is what condemns us already (see John 3:17-18). Satan is already defeated, and he knows it. That is why he fights so fervently. Proclaim victory over him today by putting all your trust in Christ and giving God all your reverence. He is the only One that deserves our praise and allegiance.
May you recognize your victory in Christ today!

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