双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：12月29日 魔鬼溃败

12月29日

魔鬼溃败

祂捉住那龙，就是古蛇，又叫魔鬼，也叫撒但，把牠捆绑一千年……（在硫磺火湖里）必昼夜受痛苦，直到永永远远。

启示录20:2，10

当今世界上，除了上帝之外，最有权势的就是魔鬼。牠试探耶稣时，将世上的万国指给祂看，还说，“你若俯伏拜我，我就把这一切都赐给你”（马太福音4:9）。耶稣没有反驳牠，撒但能够把宇宙和邪恶的世界交给耶稣。但是，感谢上帝，我们的主引用了经文，这是魔鬼无法忍受的一件事！圣经每每都能够打败牠。

在哥林多后书4:4中，牠也被称为“这世界的神”。这意味着牠是这世上所有虚假宗教和哲学的引导者。圣经说整个宇宙世界都在牠操控下。如果撒但的问题得不到解决，接下来会发生什么呢？谁来消灭邪恶？谁来除掉撒但？人类在牠面前无能为力，人无法捆绑牠，教会无法废除牠；法律也奈何不了牠，联合国不知道如何处置牠，他们甚至不明白他们面对的是属灵气的力量——当今世上巨大的邪恶力量。

然而，我们不要忘记一个事实。有一位比撒但更有能力的！两千年前，祂在十字架上打败了牠。魔鬼不想让耶稣基督上十字架，因为牠害怕基督在十字架上所成就的。牠知道当基督死在十字架上时，祂承担了全世界的罪。上帝在十字架上对人类说：“我爱你们，要赦免你们所有的罪，使你们作我的儿子，有一天和我一同在天上。”如果耶稣从十字架上下来，我们就不会希望祂上十字架。所以他们讥诮祂说，“你如果是上帝的儿子，就从十字架上下来吧。”撒但在十字架上以及主耶稣基督的复活中遭受了牠最大的失败。

今日祷告：

天父，耶稣基督的十字架上拯救了我们的灵魂，这是何等荣耀的恩典啊！求祢藉着我们和祢的众民，将这福音传遍天下；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

December 29

THE DEVIL DEFEATED

He seized the dragon,that ancient serpent,who is the devil,or Satan,and bound him for a thousand years…[where he]will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.Revelation 20:2,10,NIV

The most powerful being in all the world today,outside of God Himself,is the devil.At the temptation he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world,and he said in effect,“I will give you all of these if you will bow down and worship me:(Matthew 4:9).Jesus did not dispute him.Satan had the power to give Jesus the cosmos,the world system of evil.But,thank God,our Lord quoted Scripture,and that’s one thing the devil can’t stand!The Scripture defeats him every time.

In 2 Corinthians 4:4 he’s also called“the god of this age.”That means that he’s the director of false religions and philosophies of the world.The Bible says the whole cosmos world is under his control.What’s going to transpire if something doesn’t happen to Satan?Who’s going to dispose of evil?Who’s going to dispose of Satan?Humanity is helpless before him.Man is unable to chain him.The Church cannot dethrone him.Legislation is impotent.The United Nations does not know how to handle him.They don’t even understand that they’re dealing with a spiritual power-and enormous power of evil in the world today.

Let’s not forget one fact,however.There is One who is more powerful than Satan!This One defeated him 2,000 years ago on the cross.The devil didn’t want Jesus Christ to go to the cross,because he was afraid of what Christ would do on the cross.He knew that when Christ died on the cross,He was bearing the sins of the whole world.And God was saying to mankind from the cross,“I love you.I want to forgive you of all of your sins.I want you to be My child,and one day to join Me in heaven.”And if Jesus had come down from the cross,we couldn’t want Him on the cross.That’s why they taunted Him,“If Thou be the Son of God,come down from the cross.”Satan suffered his greatest defeat at the cross,and in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray for the Day:

Father,what glorious grace there is in the Cross of Jesus Christ that saved our souls!Send forth that Good News into all the world through us and through all of Your people;in Jesus’Name,Amen.