April 14 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Revelation 12:

¹And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
²And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
³And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
⁴And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
⁵And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
⁶And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
⁷And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
⁸And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
⁹And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
¹⁰And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
¹¹And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
¹²Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
¹³And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
¹⁴And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
¹⁵And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
¹⁶And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
¹⁷And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Devotional

Satan is the arch-enemy of Christ and his Church. He is the great dragon, "that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. He had great power and great wrath." How shall we ever be able to stand against so mighty a foe? How shall we overcome him? "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." So does every be­liever. When Satan sees the blood of Christ his strength fails him. When he hears the testimony of salvation through the blood, he flees away. Satan knows that we are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold; "but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." The blood of Christ that was the ransom to be paid. Christ paid it in full, and we are free. Now "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We have been purchased with his own blood. "Be­ing now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." He has "redeemed us to God by his blood." We have washed our robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Now we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Our conscience being purged by the blood of Jesus from dead works, we are in a position to serve the living God. Such is the power of the blood.

Prayer

O Lord God, grant us grace that we may not seek to redeem ourselves by our own good works. May we not in the least trust in our own righteousness; but may we believe, and rest assured that the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth us from all sin. May Thy Spirit teach us and lead us into all truth, so that all Scripture may be profitable unto us for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous­ness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. We ask it for Jesus' sake. Amen.

---

Scripture in Devotional: Rev. 12:9, 11; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20; Acts 20:28; Rom. 5:9; Rev. 5:9; Heb. 10:19; 9:14.

Click here for background on Light and Comfort and the author.