“DON’T MESS WITH HIM! I’m telling you… don’t mess with him.” In high school I had a friend that didn’t look incredibly intimidating. His name was Tyler. He was a nice kid and for the most part minded his own business. One day, some loudmouth started in on Tyler. We warned the loudmouth to stop or he’d regret what would happen next. Of course mr. loudmouth kept going and ignored our advice. He got in Tyler’s face and said something offensive. Tyler looked at him, knocked him out cold on the ground, stepped over unconscious loudmouth, and walked out the door. It was awesome! Now, I’m not advocating for violence or fighting, but it felt so good to see ‘loudmouth the bully’ get what he deserved. In Revelation 20, we get to see Satan, the devil, our enemy get what he deserves. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:1-4 NLT). Know this… Just because Jesus is sometimes quiet, does not mean He is absent or weak. Just as loudmouth was no match for Tyler, Satan is no match at all for Jesus. One day Jesus will chain Satan up and throw him into the pit. Satan will have no power over us and Jesus will reverse the destruction the devil has made. Satan will enjoy the torment he has dished out to us. Not even death can hold back God’s reversibility powers. Jesus will conquer the enemy and raise the dead believers into His presence. Stand firm in your faith and trust in the timing, authority, grace, and power of Jesus Christ!
Questions 1.) Have you ever witnessed a fight? How did it go? If not… if you were to be in a fight, what’s the first thing you’d do? 2.) When talking to others about Christ, how would you tell them about Jesus’ final victory of evil, sin, and death?
Zack Funk 