Reading Through The New Testament in 2016 - December 16th, 2016 - Revelation 12 Die Hard is a Chris

I’ve never seen it to be honest, but everyone on the internet likes to tell me it’s a Christmas movie.

Well, in that same attitude I’m here to tell you that Revelation 12 if a Christmas chapter. No, really, it is.

Here we have a retelling of Mary, Jesus and Herod. A woman is giving birth to a son who will rule the nations with an iron scepter (5). But, a red dragon came to devour the child as soon as he was born. Which is exactly what Herod tried to do the moment Jesus was born. He massacred jewish babies in hopes to kill Jesus, but he failed.

Rather, this child was brought up to heaven to sit on the throne.

Here’s the thing about Revelation 12 and the Christmas story and life as we know it, along with amazing, hopeful promises there are also dragons and jealous kings and forces that want to see us devoured.

We live in a world where evil and good exist together and we daily feel them fighting against each other. We often find ourselves overcome by good sometimes, and overcome by evil other times.

Christmas is the story of the hope of a saviour, and it is also the story of a massacre.

Revelation is the story of a woman clothed with the sun that has a baby boy that is the king we’ve always wanted, and it’s the story of a dragon that wants to destroy it all.

As I write this to you I struggle. I struggle with severe insecurity and anxiety, and I often doubt myself. I just want to get over it to be honest. I’m sick of my issues, I’m sick of not being better than them.

I just want to overcome.

It feels like there are dragons that want to devour me and sometimes it feels like they are.

Here’s the thing though, this chapter knows this. This chapter knows that life is a mixture of amazing things and awful things. This chapter knows that life isn’t always easy and it isn’t meant to be.

This chapter also knows how we can overcome the dragons.

It is through the salvation power that comes from our messiah.

Listen to these words:

“They triumphed over him [satan] by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death”

Today I fight the dragons, but not with my will power, I do it by being covered in the blood of the lamb that died to set me free, I do it with the words of my testimony to how Jesus is and has saved me, and I do it by letting go of my life and not fearing death.

Because of Jesus I can overcome the evil and so can you.

What are the words of your testimony? How has Jesus saved you? What is God doing in your life right now?

Because these words are weapons against satan.

If you’re like me, and you’re struggling today, take a moment to remember what God is doing in and through you. Then, take these words and tell it to the dragons. These words will slay them.

Through Jesus I will overcome.

And so will you.