January 29 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

When you read the gospels, you notice that nobody recognizes Jesus for who he really is. Flesh and blood cannot recognize him. But the demons knew who Jesus was. They had a supernatural knowledge of Jesus and the significance of his coming.

When the devils saw the King, they heard the clock strike and they shuddered. They knew that the kingdom of God was going to be established because Jesus had come. Now the kingdom of Satan tottered.

The real battle is between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Of course, people are not in the middle as innocent parties. We are either willing victims of the devil or saved by the grace of God. But the fact remains that our lot is decided in the spiritual realm—without us and about us—even if that truth hurts our pride. By God's Spirit we may become consciously engaged in the great battle, but this battle is never won by flesh and blood and is not fought against flesh and blood.

"Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" Apparently the devils know that their doom is sure, but they also know that the final hour has not yet come. They must leave their victims in the blessing, healing hands of Jesus. But the demons are allowed to go into the herd of swine. Jesus does not allow them to do so because he is moved with pity for the demons. Christ reserves his pity for people. He allows the demons to go because the "appointed time" has not yet come. Later he will consign them to the abyss.

This event is very instructive for the believer: It shows Jesus' power over the demons. They must surrender their victims to him. At the same time this happening shows that the victory is tentative—not yet complete. Christ permits them to carry on their destructive activity. The final hour of reckoning has not yet come.

Reflections

What does this story tell you about the kingdom of God?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.