Daily Devotions
The Constant Struggle Between Good & Evil
Reading for December 28th: Revelation 6-12
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!
Revelation 12:11-12
The devil hates God. But he can't attack God and so he attacks God's creation. This struggle between God and the devil, between good and evil, has been raging since the beginning of time. The devil knows he has ultimately lost the war, but that hasn't diminished his intensity in trying to defeat us.
It seems to me that this short passage goes to the heart of the message of Revelation. We have won. We and all the saints and heavenly hosts rejoice in our glorious victory.
But the devil is not finished. He's still on the loose and is creating a lot of pain and suffering on the earth. He's still the "god of this world," the "prince of the power of the air." We're living in a world where sin and death remains.
So do not be discouraged. Life here is not easy. Life can really stink sometimes. But that's because the devil is still ruling on the earth. We're going to a place where the devil is not welcome. He's already been kicked out.
Father, thank you for the hope we have in Jesus!
