Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

   - Revelation 12.17

The shining stronghold of God: though its chief doorways are great, none enters in from the habitations of earth save three persons. The person who keeps God’s law; the person who is truly a virgin; the noble penitent who admits and does not conceal his deeds.

   - Saltair na Rann, Irish, 9th-10th century

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

- Revelation 12.17

The four descriptions in our two passages refer to the same person: the one who is truly saved and belongs to Jesus by grace through faith.

He is the true virgin, for, in the most important sense, he weds himself to only one Bridegroom. He is the noble penitent, because he can confess his sins without fear of judgment or annihilation. He is the keeper of God’s Law, in which he delights and meditates continually. He is the one who bears consistent witness to Jesus Christ.

No wonder the devil hates such people so much. They are the rust in his iron-clad plan to overthrow humanity and seize the throne of God. They are the sands of resistance dropping through the hour-glass of his time, running out. He hates them with a fury and is always trying to deceive, distract, and destroy them through temptations and trials of various kinds.

Do you sense his anger? Are you confronted by his wiles and trials?

If not, bolster your faith in Jesus and your obedience to His Word, and you’ll find out soon enough just how much the devil hates you, how mad he is at you because you won’t go along with his plan to gain the throne of God.

It’s a good thing to experience the devil being mad at you, because then you know you’re walking faithfully with the Lord. I’m not suggesting that we court trouble here. I’m just saying that they who are really serious about the Lord and His Word, who practice daily repentance and obedience, and who bear consistent witness to the Lord of glory, can surely expect to be harassed and troubled by the enemy of our souls.

So when it happens, rejoice and give thanks. You’re right where God wants you to be.

And precisely where the devil wishes you weren’t.

Psalm 3.1, 2, 5, 6 (Eventide: “Abide with Me”)
Lord, all around my foes are multiplied, rising against me like a ‘whelming tide;
Many are saying of my weary soul, “Not even God can save or make him whole!”

Waking and sleeping, guarded by Your grace, when foes by thousands stand before my face,
When constant dangers ‘round me are arrayed, I will not fear, I will not be afraid!

Lord, when the devil comes in an accursed and dreadful form, dangling temptation before me, help me to recognize his wiles, resist his overtures, and stand firm in my testimony for Jesus. Adapted from The Life of Brendan of Clonfert

T. M. Moore, Principal
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