Revelation - God believes in us

Before getting into Revelation chapter 11 here is a word of encouragement for the body of Christ:

In Revelation we see the forces behind Man’s struggle to overcome, including our own self-will. God believes in the capabilities of His prized creation to choose Him over sin, the world and the flesh. Satan believes in his own abilities to dissuade Man from following God, and his goal is to destroy the object of God’s affections.


Are we pawns, consigned to the fate of higher powers in a struggle over power? No, we are family . . . God’s family. Just as a father’s aspirations for his children are higher than their own aspirations, God’s purposes for our lives are beyond our comprehension. It takes great faith for us to believe that God sees us as worthy children, ones in which He would invest all the riches of heaven so that we could obtain glory with Him as his family.

In Revelation God is uncovering the hand of our enemy, satan. Every good father imparts his wisdom to his children to keep them safe. So our heavenly Father is making the risk of following satan plain. God believes that, of our own free will we will love Him and follow His advice. He has seen us beforehand, growing in stature, maturing in love and kindness, wisdom and strength of faith. He has gone before us, recording the actions of men of faith so that we would have a trail to follow.

What can we do in these war-torn times of spiritual warfare? Trust in God, and have faith in the goodness of His character. His purposes for us are good, and his love is never failing. We can also acknowledge that satan is a very real enemy, seeking to destroy our lives out of retaliation because he himself is excluded from God’s family. As jealous as God is over our affections, so much is satan envious of our position. Stay alert, and pray, for our enemy is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour (1 Pet 5:8). Amen.