You're outta here!

Revelation 12:7-8
Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.

It seems to be that when our lives aren’t working out, when the world around us is falling apart, when bad things are happening, we turn to God to console us through Job. We look at Job’s struggles and trials and try to compare our current state to his former state. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with learning about what Job went through and how his standing with God was tested, but we are not Job.

Job was lacking one crucial element in his life that we Christians are not: Jesus as advocate. During Job’s day the Devil (Satan, the Dragon, Serpent) still had a place in the throne room of God (Job 2:1) where he could come and bring accusations against mankind. The Devil had a legal right to harm and cause harm to God’s people. Even though Christ had not yet come, however, God graciously limited the Devil’s actions (Job 2:6) and spared Job’s life.

We are not like Job. We, the post-cross believers, live in a greater time and have a greater blessing in our lives than Job could have. In fact, Job knew of our time and of our blessings and of the redemption of Jesus Christ that would someday come (Job 19:25), but he did not possess it. Job didn’t have the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which cries greater things than that of Abel (Hebrews 12:24), sprinkled in the throne room of Heaven, blocking the Devil’s access.

When we compare ourselves and our struggles to Job, we’re insulting the cross of salvation, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Instead of comparing ourselves to Job when we’re in times of struggles we need to remind ourselves that God compares us to Jesus (...as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17) and sees us as perfect through His blood.

The Devil has no right to accuse you and bring curses on you through the throne room of God. He has been cast out, forever vanquished by the saving power of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, he still thinks he has the right to come to you directly. When he does, he’s hoping that you’ll forget the fact that Jesus paid the price and redeemed you to perfection. He’s hoping that you will believe the lies he tells and fall victim to a defeated foe.

That is why it is so very important to daily, hourly, every minute, remind ourselves of the abundant life that we have been freely given through the cross of Christ. We must remain strong in our faith that when Christ cried out “It is finished”, He meant everything. Disease, sickness, depression, sadness, addictions, sin, and death were all conquered on the cross. The Devil was cast out of heaven and has no right to stand where the blood of Christ has been sprinkled.

Friends, we are washed completely in the very same blood, covered from head to toe in the protecting, purifying blood of Christ. The Devil has no right to us! We are victorious through Jesus and we are blessed through His grace. So when the Devil comes to trick you, don’t remind him of who you are; remind yourself of who you are. Don’t even give Satan the satisfaction of hearing your voice; he has no right to you, your health, or your life.