(The following is the December 17 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Revelation 13 and pay close attention to verses 5-7 and 14-15.)
People often ask why bad things happen to good people. The book of Job pondered a similar question as Satan was allowed to bring calamity upon Job and his family. In Job, God limited what Satan was allowed to do. Scripture refers to Satan as the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), but that doesn’t mean he has free rein to do anything at any time. God has Satan on a leash.
The terrible actions in Revelation 13 seem unlimited because the beasts had the power to conquer believers (at least until Christ raised them to eternal life). That may not seem like much of a leash if the beast at the end of it can kill innocent people. Yet, several times, we read of the limit on his power. “It was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months” (v. 5). “And it was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them” (v. 7). “It deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it is permitted to perform” (v. 14). “It was permitted to give breath to the image of the beast” (v. 15). Four times above, the beasts were “allowed” or “permitted” to do what they did, and then only for a limited time. The consequences were temporarily devastating, but all within God’s sovereign plan.
It can be discouraging to witness sin and depravity in a world turning further away from Christ, but we see only our moment in time. God sees all of history. We don’t know all the details of God’s plan for the ages, but everything is unfolding according to his plan and will accomplish his purposes. We mustn’t despair that Satan exists or that he inflicts much harm on our world. His power is limited, and his days are numbered. We must persevere in Christ, who assured Satan’s defeat and our victory through his death and resurrection.
Next Step:
What terrible acts and trends do you see in the world that you attribute to Satan’s influence? Pray for people involved that God changes their hearts and draws them to himself.
