By David Bragg
In 2002 The New York Times ran a story by Rick Bragg about the unusual events in Inglis, Florida. The town's mayor, Carolyn Risher, took the unprecedented step of issuing a mayoral proclamation banning Satan from the community's city limits. The restraining order declared: ''Be it known from this day forward that Satan, ruler of darkness, giver of evil, destroyer of what is good and just, is not now, nor ever again will be, a part of this town of Inglis. Satan is hereby declared powerless, no longer ruling over, nor influencing, our citizens" (www.nytimes.com). The Times article went on to say that the proclamation was printed out and placed in four hollowed out posts staked at the town’s four entrances.
Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy to banish Satan, or even strip him of his power? This spiritual enemy has plagued those who seek to follow God since his lies in the Garden of Eden. But John has good news for the readers of Revelation. Satan CAN BE defeated!
John lays out the formula for us in Rev. 12:11: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." First, we must have been washed in the Lamb’s blood (i.e. baptized; Acts 22:16). Next, we must obey His will (the New Testament teachings). And finally, we must “be faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10).
- David Bragg serves as one of the ministers at the Northwest Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC and is co-editor of BulletinGold. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.nwchurchofchrist.com/ or his blog: http://davidbragg.blogspot.com/
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