Day 85

Imagine the scene that first-century day. Jesus had sent seventy-two men on a mission: to prepare the people in selected towns and villages for His visit. The men returned with exuberant joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17). Like a parent responding to a small child who accomplished a new feat, Jesus said, “I saw.” He continued, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Seeing in the spiritual realm, Jesus saw more than these men did. They saw demons cast out. Jesus saw the works of Satan defeated.

Jesus told the men, “I have given you the authority to overcome…all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). As children of God, we’ve been given that authority as well. Jesus knew we would be in a constant battle for our faith. Satan bombards us with lies, ones that can come with the seeming power of a ballistic missile. Yet we have the power and authority of Jesus to defeat every lie Satan launches our way. Armed with God’s truth, we are like an anti-ballistic missile system. We can detect, intercept and destroy all of Satan’s lies. How? Obedient faith ignites and launches the truth of God’s powerful Word against lies, successfully demolishing them.

When lies are destroyed, the works of Satan are defeated. His intended mission fails. How great is his defeat when a child of God, bound for many years by deception and unbelief, chooses —regardless of what they see or feel —to believe God.

Let this be your battle cry:

“Lord, grant me a change of mind leading to a knowledge of the truth that I may come to my senses and escape the trap Satan has set for me and the destruction he seeks to bring on me” (from 2 Timothy 2:25-26).

With such a prayer, we too will see the works of Satan defeated in our lives.