Christmas Invasion

Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, All is Bright…

Silent Night is a Christmas Carol that portrays peace, calm, and rest. It’s a beautiful song, and I pray that Joseph and Mary experienced it—for at least that evening. The birth of the long-awaited Messiah was a gift from Heaven that brought unbelievable joy to many and unimaginable fear to others. When Christ was born, He willingly entered enemy territory on our behalf. The first Christmas was a Divine invasion.

One definition of invasion is an unwelcome entry into another’s domain. In John 12:31, Jesus referred to Satan as the ruler of this world, and Ephesians 2:2 calls him the prince of the power of the air. When the Light of the world pierced the darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places had reason to panic because they knew their time was short. Jesus, the Savior of the world, was on the move.

With love beyond comprehension, God chose to leave Heaven, put on flesh, experience human emotions, feel our pain to the full, and live in complete submission and obedience to God the Father. Jesus’s sinless life qualified Him to crush the enemy at the cross when He defeated death and victoriously rose from the grave. His sacrifice provided a way for all who put their faith in Him to have eternal life.

Because of Christ’s victory, believers are no longer under the rule of Satan. Instead, we are more than conquerors equipped with Heavenly armor that protects us from the schemes of the enemy. As Christ’s followers, we have been entrusted with delivering good news to all people by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This assignment is a tremendous blessing, and because of that, it won’t be without a fight. A sermon by Adrian Rogers articulates this well when he said,

“We are in a spiritual war! And the Church is not a cruise ship with the Senior Pastor as the Master of Ceremonies! Indeed, the Church is not a showboat…...it is a battleship. We, in the Body of Christ, are called to see Satan’s strongholds crumble under the power of Heaven’s artillery. We do not have the luxury of neutrality. We must engage in the fight. A truce will never be called. God’s will for his saints is not that we merely survive, but that we thrive in total victory.”

Soon, unrighteousness will shut its mouth when the enemies of God will be silenced forever. Until then, let’s consider ourselves active crew members on a mission to invade the darkness with the Light of Christ.

At any moment, our Bright Morning Star will return, the battle will be over, and we can forever sing, “All is calm, all is bright.”

Pray: Dear Jesus, What a Mighty Savior You are! In humble appreciation, we ask for a holy boldness that shows up, shines, and invades the darkness. Please help us to stay actively engaged by guiding the lost to You, the Prince of Peace. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Reflect: “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” – Billy Graham