A Christmas Carol: W3 - TUE
The enemies' fate Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore…10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur…
When I was a college chaplain, I had a season where I happened to have a lot of students sharing fears they had about the devil. They had each experienced attacks on themselves, or on their loved ones, and it seemed to them in this time like the devil was more real and more powerful than God.
In response to these conversations, I ended up giving a talk for a vespers that I entitled, “Devil Schmevil.” The idea was to name the devil and his role in this world, but to make sure we knew who held the power between him and Christ.
In the gospels, whenever Jesus encounters a demon, it’s clear who is in charge. No question. Even in the instant where there’s a conversation, the one between Jesus and the legion of demons who eventually get cast into pigs, there’s no question as to who is in charge. The demons know they have to do whatever comes out of Jesus’ mouth because he is, after all, the great I AM. All they do is ask to be thrown into the pigs instead of the abyss.
At one point in the sermon, I got to a dramatic place where I had said the devil’s name for the first time, Lucifer, and for a split second you could hear a pin drop. After a split second, one of our beloved community members who loved talking back to the preacher, blurted out, “That dirty bird!” His comment broke the tension in the room, causing the crowd, and myself, to laugh.
Of course, I talked about Jesus conquering sin and death on the cross and winning the war over the devil. I talked about the powerful name of Jesus and how it is ours to use and stand firm underneath. And I remember ending that sermon with the above verse, asking the students to tell me how many angels are used to bind up the devil in the end. Do you catch it? Just one.
For all the harm and pain and horror the devil has caused since the garden, for all the times we may have cowered during an attack, it only takes ONE angel to bind him.
Because of the Christmas story and all that Jesus came and accomplished for us, the devil has no power over us any more. In fact, the only power he has is the power we give him. Whereas, when we live our lives surrendered to Jesus, we have the power of Jesus that covers us and try as he might, the devil is a defeated foe. Sure, he’s going down swinging, but please remember that you belong to and are protected by God, and your future is secure in Him just like the devil’s fate is secure. So hold onto that truth the next time you feel attacked, and cling to the mighty and powerful name of Jesus both now and forevermore.
When I was a college chaplain, I had a season where I happened to have a lot of students sharing fears they had about the devil. They had each experienced attacks on themselves, or on their loved ones, and it seemed to them in this time like the devil was more real and more powerful than God.
In response to these conversations, I ended up giving a talk for a vespers that I entitled, “Devil Schmevil.” The idea was to name the devil and his role in this world, but to make sure we knew who held the power between him and Christ.
In the gospels, whenever Jesus encounters a demon, it’s clear who is in charge. No question. Even in the instant where there’s a conversation, the one between Jesus and the legion of demons who eventually get cast into pigs, there’s no question as to who is in charge. The demons know they have to do whatever comes out of Jesus’ mouth because he is, after all, the great I AM. All they do is ask to be thrown into the pigs instead of the abyss.
At one point in the sermon, I got to a dramatic place where I had said the devil’s name for the first time, Lucifer, and for a split second you could hear a pin drop. After a split second, one of our beloved community members who loved talking back to the preacher, blurted out, “That dirty bird!” His comment broke the tension in the room, causing the crowd, and myself, to laugh.
Of course, I talked about Jesus conquering sin and death on the cross and winning the war over the devil. I talked about the powerful name of Jesus and how it is ours to use and stand firm underneath. And I remember ending that sermon with the above verse, asking the students to tell me how many angels are used to bind up the devil in the end. Do you catch it? Just one.
For all the harm and pain and horror the devil has caused since the garden, for all the times we may have cowered during an attack, it only takes ONE angel to bind him.
Because of the Christmas story and all that Jesus came and accomplished for us, the devil has no power over us any more. In fact, the only power he has is the power we give him. Whereas, when we live our lives surrendered to Jesus, we have the power of Jesus that covers us and try as he might, the devil is a defeated foe. Sure, he’s going down swinging, but please remember that you belong to and are protected by God, and your future is secure in Him just like the devil’s fate is secure. So hold onto that truth the next time you feel attacked, and cling to the mighty and powerful name of Jesus both now and forevermore.
- Was there ever a time in your life when you felt scared of the devil? If so, what was happening?
- What are some of the ways the devil attacks us?
- When you’re feeling attacked, what are some things you can do to remind the devil and yourself who you belong to and how powerful He is?
By Paddy McCoy
Crosswalk Portland
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