September 12: SHIFTY DECEIVER

Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. Revelation 12:13

According to the dragon, Christ’s victory at the cross was supposed to be his victory. He, Satan, had been trying to kill the promised Seed ever since the Genesis 3:15 prophecy. But his plan totally backfired. The love of Christ and His willingness to pay the penalty of death for His broken law has created a following in His wake consisting of law-abiding citizens of heaven, even as they still reside upon the earth.

The dragon’s anger due to the short time he has left is compounded by the fact that the male Child is now out of his reach, for He has been caught up to God and His throne. Now, his operations to hurt Jesus are directed at His people on the earth who prefer Christ’s lawful rule over Satan’s lawless one. These people, collectively called the woman who gave birth to the male Child, are the objects of persecution.

It is infuriating to the adversary that the meek and humble, law-abiding bride of Christ is not afraid of him. No amount of threatening or coercion alters her loyalty. Even when the whole world (v.9) has united under his last-day deceptions, the faithful remnant will not succumb to the powerful delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

Pagan Rome persecuted Christians during the early centuries immediately following the inauguration of Christ’s rule and reign in the hearts of His followers. Their heart’s desire was to continue His mission of mercy, spreading the good news of the gospel unto salvation. The heavenly inauguration of the risen Christ is depicted in chapters 4 & 5 of Revelation, and heaven’s connection to earth was confirmed as the Holy Spirit was sent into the world (compare 5:6 to Acts 2:2). It wasn’t that the Romans were worried over religion. They were concerned about insurrection. Maintaining peace at any cost was the assignment across the entire empire. PAX ROMANA! The Jews who had rejected Christ would often rise up in organized revolts against Roman rule. These skirmishes would be blamed on the Christians, who were made up mostly of Jews who had accepted their Messiah. To be sure, there were former Zealots among them who had joined the church in favor of walking the path of the Prince of Peace.

Within the first century AD, all of the remaining original apostles, with the exception of John, were martyred. The Emperor Nero is credited with the executions of Peter and Paul. Roman attempts to crush those “peace-disturbing” Christians actually had the opposite effect, causing an explosion of growth and the spread of Christianity far and wide. This is why the dragon dramatically shifted his tactics: to dismantle and destroy the church from the inside. He walked right into it and took a stand between God and the people for the purpose of derailing the plan of salvation. In his dragon form, Satan openly displays his hatred, ruthlessness, and violence. But he has another form as well…

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14