Daily Reading
The Great Dragon Hurled Down
January 5, 2025
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
—Revelation 12:7–9
Our enemy is the fallen angel Satan, son of the morning, one of the first and highest angels God created. He is the antagonist in the sacred romance—the great villain. All other villains are only a shadow of him. He is the one God gave a place of honor and trust “among the fiery stones” of the courts of heaven and who sees God face-to-face even to this day. He is one who spurned God’s love and lost everything good through the sin of presumption. His desire was, and still is, to possess everything that belongs to God, including the worship of all those whom God loves. And God, as the Author of the great Story in which we are all living, has mysteriously allowed him and his forces (for millions of angels fell with him) a certain freedom to harass and oppress the other characters in the play, sometimes in a severe manner.
In some ways, due to his great age and dark wisdom, Satan knows us better than we know ourselves. The one purpose of his heart is the destruction of all that God loves, particularly his Beloved. He stalks us day and night, as the Lord tells us through Peter: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Peter makes it clear he is talking especially to believers, saying in verse 9, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
As I (Brent) read these words, several questions come immediately to mind, among them these: “Wait a minute, God. How did I get in the middle of this fight? Why do you give your enemy the freedom to attack me? And where am I to expect his attacks? A roaring lion should be fairly easy to identify. Where is this enemy of yours who is now also mine? What is his strategy to separate me from you and how does he carry it out?”
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In some ways, due to his great age and dark wisdom, Satan knows us better than we know ourselves. The one purpose of his heart is the destruction of all that God loves, particularly his Beloved. He stalks us day and night, as the Lord tells us through Peter: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Peter makes it clear he is talking especially to believers, saying in verse 9, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
As I (Brent) read these words, several questions come immediately to mind, among them these: “Wait a minute, God. How did I get in the middle of this fight? Why do you give your enemy the freedom to attack me? And where am I to expect his attacks? A roaring lion should be fairly easy to identify. Where is this enemy of yours who is now also mine? What is his strategy to separate me from you and how does he carry it out?”
Want More? Order your copy of The Sacred Romance today