Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers
Liberation!
All of us are waiting for deliverance from this current pandemic! The hope of many is the ingenuity of our scientific community, and how grateful we should be for the gifts of science and medicine. But our hope must remain in the Lord, ultimately.
And there is, we must always keep in mind, a far greater deliverance than deliverance from diseases of the body.
On a recent BBC "Auction Roadshow" program a coin was shown which commemorated the tenth anniversary of liberation from one of the German Concentration camps. It was given to survivors so that they might remember their deliverance.
We remember wonderful past rescues for two reasons. First to give thanks and rejoice, and second to make sure history does not repeat itself.
The Scriptures encourage us to remember our great spiritual deliverance:
"For he has delivered (or rescued) us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves." (Colossians 1:13)
Remember with Thanksgiving
Let's pause then, first, to give thanks!
Scripture makes it clear that everyone born into this world comes under the control or dominion of the evil one. "The whole world is under the control of the evil one." (1 John 5:19).
That does not mean that everyone is demon possessed, but it does mean that in one way or another, everyone comes under the influence of the evil one.
But then one day, when we were empowered by God's Spirit to respond to the Gospel, we were "delivered from the dominion of darkness." So that now, "he who is within us (the Spirit of Jesus Christ) is greater than he who is in the world (Satan)." (1 John 4:4).
Satan has no power over us any longer. He can still put evil thoughts into our minds to tempt us, and we must put on the whole armour of God to stand against his schemes, but his power over God's people has come to an end. Praise God!
Satan can oppress us, but not possess us, and if we resist him God promises that he will flee (James 4:7).
Satan pretends that he has authority over us, but he is a liar, and so today let us remind ourselves and rejoice that we have been delivered from his power. Let us remind ourselves that his doom is writ. One day he will be thrown into the lake of burning sulphur where he will be punished forever (Revelation 20) and be unable to exercise any influence upon the glorified people of God.
Remember not to Repeat
The other reason we remember a past deliverance is so that we never go back to those days. Living under Satan's power is living in darkness and hatred and despair!
And while, on the one hand we can't go back to those days, for we have been forcibly delivered forever from Satan's power, it is possible to backslide and it is possible to give Satan a foothold in our lives. "Do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:27).
Whole sermons could be written on how true believers can nevertheless allow Satan a foothold in their lives. If we live in unrepentant sin, if we refuse to forgive those who have sinned against us, if we oppose our church leaders, and if we let the sun go down on our anger, we allow Satan a foothold into our hearts and minds and lives.
Daily repentance and daily forgiveness and daily putting on the armour God has given to us will keep Satan at bay and enable us to live in the victory, freedom and joyful kingdom of God's Son.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
The moment I knew I was going to write on D is for Deliverance, one of Charles Wesley's hymns came to mind, where he recalls the moment he was set free by the Gospel's power:
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.
You can sing along HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our loving Father in heaven,
We pray that in these weary days, you will help us to persevere, to keep going, to not give up.
We thank you that you have rescued us from Satan's power and brought us into the bright and loving Kingdom of your Son.
Help us to walk in the light, just as Jesus is in the light.
Help us to resist the devil, help us to seek daily forgiveness, help us to forgive those who sin against us and help us to sincerely turn from and repent of all our sins daily.
We ask these things in Jesus' Name,
Amen
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