Prophecy and Promise: Devotions from Time of GraceSample

Your Enemy Is a Beast

The news gets grimmer. You have not only one enemy but many. Satan's fellow fallen angels, often called demons, hate you too. What's more, Satan has deceived certain human agents and persuaded them also to follow his terrible agenda.

Sometimes Satan's human agents manage to achieve high government or military power, and they use that power to attack and hurt the believers. The Bible calls satanic governmental or military power a "beast coming out of the sea." The beast "was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. . . . This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints" (Revelation 13:7,10).

Believers have suffered terrible persecutions from the beastly governments that were supposed to protect them. Even today, in these "enlightened times," Christians are being harassed, arrested, imprisoned, beaten, and even killed by the beast. Be alert, and don't be surprised. But know this: the beast cannot touch your eternal salvation, and the blood of Christian martyrs only makes our Savior look more wonderful to those who remain.