Three Ways to Overcome Evil
Introduction
In the last speech he ever made, on 31 March 1968, Martin Luther King repeated the phrase ‘we shall overcome’ over and over again. He was echoing the words of folksinger Joan Baez, who in 1963 led a crowd of 300,000 people in singing ‘We shall overcome’. The song speaks of overcoming and of discovering hope and a future amid adversity.
Throughout this year, as we have studied the entire Bible, we have seen that we should not expect an easy life. The Bible is true to real life. Life involves many struggles, trials, tests, temptations, difficulties and battles. Yet, in Christ you can be an overcomer.
Psalm 145:8–13a
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
Commentary
God’s love overcomes everything
Love is the most powerful force in the world. We overcome through love. This was the message of Martin Luther King who said, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.’
God is the source of love. He is ‘compassionate’, ‘rich in love’ (v.8). ‘He has compassion on all he has made’ (v.9). It is God’s love that overcomes evil.
In all your relationships – especially when you encounter great difficulties – imitate God. Be ‘gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love’ (v.8).
God’s love is not a weak or feeble love. It is backed up by his power and might. God’s people will ‘tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts…’ (vv.11–12). This is something you can rely on ‘through all generations’, for God’s kingdom is ‘an everlasting kingdom’ (v.13a).
As he declares God’s love and power together, it is no wonder that David turns to praise: ‘All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you’ (v.10).
Prayer
Lord, thank you that, although the battles in this life may be great, we will overcome and enjoy the glorious splendour of your kingdom for ever.
Revelation 12:1–13:1
The Woman and the Dragon
12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient snake called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring —those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
The Beast out of the Sea
13 The dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
Commentary
Jesus overcomes the devil
Do you sometimes feel guilty, even after you’ve confessed your sin and asked for forgiveness? Do you sometimes feel bad about yourself for no apparent reason? Do you ever experience a vague, nebulous feeling of condemnation?
This is one of the ways in which the devil operates. He is ‘the accuser’ (12:10). The Hebrew word for Satan means ‘accuser’ or ‘slanderer’. He accuses God before people. God gets the blame for everything. God, he says, is not to be trusted.
He also accuses Christians before God. He denies the power of the death of Jesus. He condemns you and makes you feel guilty – not necessarily for any particular sin, but with a general and vague feeling of guilt. In contrast, when the Holy Spirit convinces us of our sin he is always specific.
This passage tells us how the devil can be overcome. The book of Revelation opens up what is happening behind the events of history and reveals what is ahead. Over and over again, John recapitulates the story from the first coming of Christ to his second coming. Each time there is conflict and persecution, but ultimately there is victory and celebration.
There are three main protagonists in chapter 12:
The Son
Jesus is the ‘Son who will shepherd all nations’ (v.5a, MSG). He is ‘placed safely before God on his Throne’ (v.5b, MSG).
The devil
The devil is described as the ‘red dragon’ (v.3). His identity is revealed in verse 9: ‘The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray’ (v.9). He is the accuser (v.10).
The woman
Perhaps the most obvious interpretation is that the woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Other suggestions are that she is personified wisdom, the heavenly Jerusalem, personified Israel, or the church. Given the nature of apocalyptic writing and its many layers of interpretation, she may represent all of these.
The woman is ‘clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head’ (v.1b). ‘She was giving birth to a Child’ (v.2, MSG). After her child was snatched up to God and to his throne, the woman ‘fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days [that is, three-and-a-half years]’ (v.6).
Later on, we read that the serpent tries to sweep the woman away: ‘But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth’ (v.16).
What is clear in this passage is that, in the end, Jesus overcomes the devil and his allies. Behind the scenes of human history are great, intelligent forces of good and evil: ‘And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back’ (v.7).
In the end, good overcomes evil: ‘But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down… to the earth, and his angels with him’ (vv.8–9). He attempts to lead ‘the whole world astray’ (v.9).
Right now, you are at war with the demonic forces of evil. But victory is secure: ‘They overcame him’ (v.11a). ‘They’ are the church – the people of God – who are in Christ. ‘Him’ is Satan, the devil, the accuser, the serpent, who will ultimately be destroyed. You overcome him in three ways:
Trust in the blood
The cross of Jesus – ‘the blood of the lamb’ (v.11a) – is the supreme victory over the devil. You can be sure of your standing before God. ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1). You do not need to wake up feeling guilty or go to bed feeling guilty. As Corrie ten Boom pointed out, ‘The blood of Christ is like tears in the eyes, it washes away the specks of dirt.’
Tell your story
They overcame ‘by the word of their testimony’ (Revelation 12:11b). Your testimony is the most powerful way of overcoming opposition to faith. It is hard to argue with your story. No one can deny your personal experience.
Take risks for Jesus
‘They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death’ (v.11c).
‘They weren't in love with themselves;
they were willing to die for Christ’ (v.11c, MSG). You can be absolutely sure of your future. Therefore, you can take the risk of betting your life on Jesus, safe in his arms.
Prayer
Lord, thank you that, the moment we side with Jesus, we are on the winning side. Help me overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of my testimony and by being willing to risk my life for you.
Ezra 6:1–7:10
The Decree of Darius
6 King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. 5 Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.
6 Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Completion and Dedication of the Temple
13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbours in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem
7 After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7 Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Commentary
The people of God overcome opposition
Mark Twain once said, ‘The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work!’ Vision without work is just a day dream. The church will not be rebuilt without God’s hand (7:6). But equally it will not be rebuilt without hard work, commitment and application.
Although work on the temple was held up because of opposition, eventually King Darius ‘issued an order’ (6:1). They found the original decree of King Cyrus ordering that the temple be rebuilt (vv.1–3). Darius then reissued the order that construction should continue on the house of God and that no one should interfere (vv.6–12).
The temple was completed (vv.14–15) in 515 BC. This was a cause of enormous celebration and joy (v.16). ‘They celebrated with joy... because the LORD had filled them with joy’ (v.22).
There was then a long period of silence between the end of chapter 6 and the beginning of chapter 7 (possibly 458 BC). Ezra is introduced as the one who, above all others, was responsible for the establishment of the law for the religious and social life of the community of the people of God after they returned from many years of exile in Babylon.
Ezra was a teacher and ‘the hand of the LORD his God was on him’ (7:6). ‘Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways’ (v.10, MSG). Study of God’s words without action is worthless.
Ezra’s example gives a wonderful model to follow. Immerse yourself in God’s word, committing time and effort to studying it. Realise that, on its own, this is not enough. Allow God’s word to shape and change your life as well; put it into action and teach others to do the same.
Prayer
Lord, thank you that you give me ultimate victory over all obstacles and opposition, and that you fill me with great joy. Help me to study the revelation of God, to live it out and to teach others to live its truths and ways.
Pippa adds
Revelation 12:9 says:
‘The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.’
It’s good that the devil was thrown out of heaven. It’s just a pity that he is here on earth. But not for long… And he is defeated.
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References
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.