It seems the storyline of the Revelation has stepped back from the brink of Jesus’ return, explaining in broad strokes why believers are persecuted. God’s enemy has been defeated and hurled from the heavens. At this the dragon –Satan, the devil– was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus (17).
I sat thinking about this troubling image. Throughout history, and still quite visible to this day, Christ-followers are being required to give their lives for the sake of the Gospel and the love of Jesus. Today’s reading reminds me that though human hands may be seen persecuting Christians, it is the spellbinding sway of the dragon –Satan, the devil– that is ultimately behind those persecuting acts.
This fact does not make the atrocities against Christians any less heinous, but it reminds me that the true enemy of God’s people is the dragon –Satan, the devil– and not the human agents. This, in turn, helps me focus my anger at the dragon while at the same time encouraging me to pray for the salvation of the human perpetrators.
By the way, this is not easy. What comes all too naturally to me is to hate the human perpetrators and to think murderous thoughts against them.
Even as I wrote the final words of the sentence above, God’s command to love my enemies (Matthew 5:44) and those who persecute me, filled my thoughts. Jesus’ words about harboring anger in my heart (Matthew 5:21-26) also came me.
O God forgive me. It is so easy for me to slide into sin! And I can even do that making myself believe I am justified in doing the sin.
Following You is a most unnatural act. And yet following is what makes me truly human in the design You had for us as humans from the beginning.
Lord, help me gain victory over my sin-filled ways and the corrupted, defiled parts of me that still are in me. I fall on Your mercy and grace. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.
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