FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran preacher in Germany during Hitler’s reign of terror. In his book, “The Cost of Discipleship,” he wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”  By this, he echoed the words of Christ, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me,” (Matt. 16:24). It is a spiritual principle. Every believer must die to himself and live for Christ. But, it can also be a literal experience.  It was for Bonhoeffer, whom the Nazis imprisoned and executed on April 9, 1945 as a martyr for Christ. 

We are called to be “faithful until death,”  and the Lord promises, “I will give you the crown of life,” (Rev. 2:10). The testimony of many saints through the ages has been sealed with their own blood. It was true in the first century. It is happening in the twenty-first century. Believers are being slaughtered by the Marxists in Asia and Muslims in Africa. 

We have enjoyed a season of peace and protection in the West, but that may end at some point soon. In fact, Revelation 6:9-11 speaks of a future period of intense persecution that is coming to the world.

Note that there are two reasons stated for their martyrdom. 

THEY WILL BE MARTYRS FOR THE TRUTH,”slain for the word of God.”  Satan, the father of lies, hates the Truth. Through the ages and in this future time, those who have courageously preached the truth of Scripture have found themselves attacked and even slain in an attempt to silence them. But, the Word of God is indestructible. Our Lord declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” So, may every preacher stand tall and stay true to the Word of God, whatever the cost!

THEY WILL BE MARTYRS FOR THEIR TESTIMONY, “slain…for the testimony which they held.”  These tenaciously hold on to their testimony under the threat of death. The world despises those who give absolute allegiance to Christ as Lord. The testimony of our salvation—that Christ is the Only Way, the Only Truth, and the Only Life—incites the fury of those who hate Jesus and His people. Let all the people of God be unwavering in their witness. Though most will reject it, some will receive it. 

Remember the words of the old hymn, “The way of the cross leads home.”

DEFEATING THE DRAGON

 

There is much that might be said concerning the long war between God and Satan, that this brief devotional on Revelation 12 cannot exhaust. We will be able to only touch the hem of the garment, but pray that the virtue of Christ will flow into the reader.

Satan is real. He is not some bogeyman of myth meant to frighten little children.  His fight against God though fierce is futile. God is omnipotent and the Dragon is not. In fact, when Satan attacks the gates of Heaven, God does not need to lift a finger.  It is Michael who leads a band of holy angels to repel this hellish horde. The outcome has never been in doubt. 

Though he has no might to resist God, he has been granted permission to deceive and destroy.  His movements are only within the parameters a sovereign God permits. As we learn in the book of Job, the Devil and his demonic hosts must still report to God (Job 1-2).  There will come a time, however, that his access to heaven is halted and he who has been cast down, will be cast out, awaiting only a few years until he is ultimately cast into the lake of fire.

But, the devil is not in hell today. He is raging against the saints.  He is “the accuser of [the] brethren,” (Rev.12:10). He wants to present a list of crimes for which the people of God are guilty—that God might condemn us and consign us to hell with Satan. Yet, we have an Advocate who has ascended (Rev.12:5) who “is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them,” (Heb.7:25).

So, if the Serpent cannot bring us eternal punishment, he will cause earthly pain. Not only is his hatred directed toward the church, but to Israel—God’s chosen people who birthed Christ (Rev.12:1-6). Old Testament history shows repeated attempts by the Devil to obliterate Israel in an effort to prevent Messiah from being born.  Failing in that, the New Testament story shows  Satan seeking to slay the Savior, which only accomplished His mission as the Lamb, leading to Him overcoming death as the Lion, and ascending to glory as the Lord!  What is left for the Dragon to do, but to seek the genocide of the Jews and the slaughter of the saints?  The story of the last two thousand years shows this.

So much more might be said concerning this long war against God. But, I want to move beyond the panorama of spiritual conflict through the ages and the prophetic aspect of the end of the age, to the present application of this to the church age.

There are three essentials to overcome the Devil.  He is overcome by our communion with our Substitute, our communication of the Scriptures, and our commitment to the Savior.

Our communion with our Substitute is indicated by this, “they overcame [the Devil] by the blood of the Lamb.”  The accuser has no answer to this. The powerful blood of Jesus has blotted out our sins. When Satan wants to point out our sins, we point to the blood and say, “What sins are you talking about?”  Jesus became our Substitute on the cross—paying the debt in full that we could never pay and giving us His perfect righteousness that we could never procure. Regularly, we should have communion, so those elements of the bread and the cup remind us of this truth (1 Cor.11:24).

Our communication of the Scriptures is stressed in this, “they overcame him…by the word of their testimony.”  God has given us the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph.6:17). As we practice that truth in obedience and proclaim it in witness, we go on the offense against the Dragon. The Word in our heart and confession of our lips is the testimony of our faith that puts the Devil to flight. It is how the perfect Man, Jesus overcame and how we must (Matt.4:1-11). 

Our commitment to the Savior is underscored by, “they overcame him…[because] they did not love their lives to the death.”  What is Satan’s worst threat?  He can tell us, “I am going to kill you!”  He cannot so long as God has a purpose for us in this world. The moment of our death is by God’s appointment and not the Devil’s decision. Should God in His providence decide that suffering and martyrdom is to be the means of our testing in this world and exit from this life, all Satan can accomplish is to send us on our journey to the glory that awaits!  So, why should we fear?

“How does this future war apply to the church today? The same serpent who accuses the saints in heaven also deceives the nations on earth (Rev. 12:9); and one of his strategies is to lie about the church. He deceives the nations into thinking that the people of God are dangerous, deluded, even destructive. It is through Satan’s deception that the leaders of the nations band together against Christ and His people (Ps. 2; Acts 4:23–30). God’s people in every age must expect the world’s opposition, but the church can always defeat the enemy by being faithful to Jesus Christ" (The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol.2.Warren Wiersbe, p.603).

In America, the church had a period of favor as our religious liberty was enshrined in our Constitution. The citizenry saw the church as a positive force to be embraced. That favor became apathy as a changing culture decided to ignore us and though unbelieving, tolerated the church. The nation saw the church as a neutral force to be endured. Now, the forces of secularism are speaking of animosity toward the church. The voices are louder and more direct.  They speak publicly from the highest platforms of civil authority and you can hear the Dragon’s fire in their voices.  The majority are starting to see the church as a negative force to be eradicated. 

Brace yourselves, saints of God as you meditate on these truths in Revelation 12!

(Thanks to the late Dr. Henry Morris, for the phrase, “the long war against God,” taken from his book by that title).

THE COST OF CONVICTION

I wonder if we have considered much the suffering of our forbears who remained faithful to the Lord and His Word under threat, imprisonment, torture, and death?  I am reading, “The Story of the Baptists,” by Richard Cook, and there are many accounts of their persecution.  One I read today was of Pastor John James, who in London was “dragged by force out of his pulpit to prison” October 19, 1661. Witnesses perjured themselves as he was accused of “treasonable language against the king.”  He would be sentenced “to be hanged, drawn and quartered.”  The author states, “His death was a glorious one. ...he was calm, patient and forgiving, and exhorted those around him. His last words were, ‘Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.’”

In far too many places in our world today, we hear of such treatment of our brothers and sisters—India, China, Iran, Syria, Nigeria, and other spots.  Because America’s founding fathers established a country with religious freedom—having fled tyranny to come to here—we have enjoyed protection from such attacks.  The increasing secularism of the nation and pronouncements of courts indicate this may not hold much longer.

What would I do if I faced the challenge which came to John James, and so many other faithful Christians?  Would I stand?  How strong, how real is our faith?  God preserve us, and if it is Your will that we suffer, grant us grace to be faithful.

 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:12-19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬