Based on the title, I have to say this one might be a bit controversial, but that’s a big part of Christianity and following God, right? I mean think about it, it says time and time again that you will be persecuted because of Me (me being Jesus). The world hated Him from the moment He came into the world. Why? The devil resides in the world. That’s a lot, let me break it down, biblically speaking.
Today I read Revelation 11-13 (I know, Revelation can be scary) but John lays out the vision of the devil so clearly, refer to John 10:10 (also in my devotional this morning, coincidence, I think not!) “The thief comes to kill and steal and destroy. I come so that they may have life and live it abundantly.” We all know that the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy, basically make our lives miserable, why? Because He hates us for existing as God’s creation, as Jesus’s chosen people, and for our likeness to God, I’d even assuming our relationship with God, he forfeited. If He does that then the opposite, which John states, is God, the One who comes to bring us life. Still with me? Okay, let’s keep going.
Back to Revelations, the chapters today describe the devil in detail, that when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, a war broke out in Heaven that defeated the devil sending him to Earth, excuse me what? That’s right, biblically speaking, the devil and his demons, reside on earth. Take this a step further, if biblically, the authors of each book describe good and evil, it’s black and white (Proverbs makes that very clear) Our choices, our decisions, our influences on this earth either come from God or the devil. If the devil makes his home here on earth, what do you think we all experience more of? The devil. Correct!
When you grow close to God, the mirage of the devil becomes so much clearer, Christ opens our eyes and allows us to hear. We begin to see the world as it truly is rather than the lies; the devil tells us. Things become much clearer, and unfortunately, we realize we’ve fallen victim to living in the world. Living in the world can look like- enjoying the “riches” of the world, chasing fame, accepting the status quo, and ignoring God’s Hand in our lives. This leads to a slippery slope and even though in the moment, those things might seem wonderful, they lead to death, just like the apple on the tree, which began all sin. I saw a quote the other day that said- “what you’re not changing, you’re choosing.” What are you choosing for your life?
If you care to read Revelation, here it is in NTL (New Living Translation):
https://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/revelation/11.html
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