Vicious But Not Victorious

“When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to Him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use Your name!’ ‘Yes,” He told them, ‘I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightening! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.’” (Luke 10:17-20 NLT)

The seventy-two, whom Jesus sent out, went to the areas Jesus planned to visit, so, quite naturally, they were very excited about exercising the power Jesus had given them, as we would be as well. But notice the Lord’s response (above), while not dampening their enthusiasm, cautioned them to rejoice for the right reason. How like us to get excited about what WE do, even realizing we have no power of our own, it just feels good when the proverbial “home team” wins.

William Barclay wrote: “It will always remain true that a man’s greatest glory is not what he has done but what God has done for him. It might well be claimed that the discovery of the use of chloroform saved the world more pain than any other single medical discovery. Once someone asked Sir James Simpson, who pioneered its use, ‘What do you regard as your greatest discovery?’ expecting the answer, ‘Chloroform.’ But Simpson answered, ‘My greatest discovery was that Jesus Christ is my Saviour.’

Even the greatest man can say in the presence of God only, ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy Cross I cling; Naked, come to thee for dress; Helpless, look to thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Saviour, or I die.’ Pride bars from heaven; humility is the passport to the presence of God.”

Satan is a vicious foe, but the only victories he can win are those we allow. In some respects, he’s like a shadow. He can loom large and frightening, but he scurries away like a frightened pup in the powerful presence of the Light, who is Jesus. We live so far below our means when we buckle under Satan’s glare. Like the disciples we celebrate our victories, failing to realize we would not have those victories if we weren’t filled with the Spirit of our Savior.

Knowing our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, not because of us, but Him, should enable us to see more clearly two very vital things. First, we have no power in and of ourselves, and we have no limitations when we tap that vital resource. In our mind’s it’s a huge thing for Jesus to save a soul, and it is, but we serve a God who spoke the heavens into existence.

When I pray for my neighbors, I don’t simply pray for each person in each house, I pray for the salvation of each member of their families and each person in their spheres of influence who is lost. I pray for an unprecedented outpouring of God’s Holy Presence that will revolutionize my city. I’m praying that Las Vegas, Nevada will no longer be called “Sin City,” but “Son City!”

He may call me home before that happens, but I don’t have a single doubt that it will. By faith I know that each of my children and their spouses will be in heaven. And please understand, it has nothing to do with the size of my faith, it’s only and always based on the limitless power of my Savior, the Lord Jesus!

Friend, I don’t know that with which you wrestle, but I know the One you need to run to for deliverance, peace, and eternal joy. He’s as close as the air you breathe. Reach out to Him with childlike faith and believe He’ll do for you what is impossible for you to do for yourself. He’s the Victor who never fails.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊