December 3, 2014
SATAN'S LIES ARE NO MATCH FOR WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE
Revelation 20:1-6
Emily Loper
Central Truth
Satan knows how to deceive us, and in our fallen state, we are fooled time and time again. But, ultimately, we know that the Lord wins this battle. A day is coming when the enemy will be defeated and the nations will be free from deception.
Key Verse | Revelation 20:2–3
And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan . . . and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. (Revelation 20:2-3a)
Revelation 20:1-6
The Thousand Years
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit 1 20:1 Greek the abyss; also verse 3 and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
Dive Deeper | Revelation 20:1-6
My brother is seven years older than I. When we were growing up, there was a lot of deception going on. Things like, "Emily, let's see who can unload the dishwasher the fastest. You go first." "Emily, will you do me a favor? I'll pay you back." And I just never learned my lesson! I was always ready to prove that I could unload the dishwasher fastest, not realizing there was only one dishwasher to unload. I always went back to him one day later, ready for my favor to be returned, only to be told he was too busy or just didn't feel like it. As soon as I realized how I'd been deceived, I immediately felt so silly and dumb and vowed to never be fooled like that again. And then he'd ask for another favor, and that horrible cycle would start all over again.
These days, the cycle is similar, but I have to deal with a whole different kind of deceiver. THE deceiver. And he's way trickier than my brother ever was. John 8:44 (NIV) says, "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." It seems like every day I'm somehow deceived. "Emily, try to be in control." "Emily, you're not good enough." "Emily, it's all about you."
Thankfully, God's Truth steps in, and my eyes are opened to how I've been deceived. I immediately feel so silly and dumb for doubting that He is more than enough. I vow that I will never be fooled like that ever again. Fixing my eyes on Jesus helps, but I'm still fallen and prone to wander.
I'm even more thankful that we know how the story ends. That a day is coming when we will no longer be deceived. The deceiver will be locked up in the abyss. Isaiah 60:2-3 (NIV) says,
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Discussion Questions
1. Are there areas in your life where it seems like there is a pattern of deception?
2. When you realize you've been deceived, how do you react? Are you angry that it happened or thankful that God offers Truth and a better alternative?
3. Think about what you know about the character of God. How does this encourage you when it comes to areas where you have been deceived in the past?
4. Think and pray about ways to counter being deceived in the future (for example, memorizing specific verses, being more mindful of areas where you're vulnerable to deception, etc.).