We have victory right now over all that is against us in this world.
My kids like to watch a television series called Superbook, in which two kids get to travel through time and witness the stories of the Bible in person. I always enjoy watching how intrigued they are by all the amazing and miraculous things that happened in the Bible and their excitement when I assure them that it all actually happened. The last episode in the series is about the final battle in Revelation and when I watched it with them for the first time I thought, “This is going to be too much for them and probably give them nightmares.” They watched as Satan and his armies came over the earth and tried to sway the main characters away from the truth one last time. It was intense, but we know how it ended. Jesus came with His armies and was victorious. When I asked my children what they thought of all they had watched, their response was, “The best part is that Jesus wins!” No comments about how scary it was, no questions about what the devil might do, just celebration of the fact that in the end Jesus wins. And isn’t that a wonderful example of childlike faith? As an adult reading Revelation 19-20 there is a lot of information and questions that you could get hung up on, but what should we really come away with from these chapters? Jesus wins.
What should our response to this be? Worship. In Revelation 19 all of heaven is worshipping and a time will come when everyone will worship Jesus as Lord. Philippians 2:9-11 says,
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
When we know the ultimate end, do we have any reason to fear what comes before it? Should we fear the people of this earth that want to silence us as believers? No, Jesus wins. Should we fear the powers of darkness that work against us to turn us from God? No, Jesus wins. Should we fear death? No, Jesus wins. And if Jesus wins, then we, as his followers, also win. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We have victory right now over all that is against us in this world. So let us live in that victory and live a life that honors God and brings him glory and honor now, so that when the day of judgement comes we are found blameless in His sight and victorious with Jesus.
