December 23

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And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. Revelation 12:4

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🔊 Christ’s birth into this world was as momentous an event as the creation of the world itself – John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1. When Christ was born on earth, the devil knew that this meant the end of his kingdom and power. Mary yielded her body to the Holy Spirit to become the channel for Christ to have a body in this world. In spiritual terms, the same is true of each individual believer. We are to yield our bodies to the Holy Spirit so that Christ may be formed in our lives. Christ came to be the firstborn of many sons and daughters of God. That this is opposed by Satan should not surprise us, since every believer who realises their inheritance in Christ is part of the fulfilment of Christ’s victory. Satan will oppose and discourage us, he will make us think our lives are without ultimate purpose, and try to make us live for empty, childish games that are not worthy of the Son of God. The thing that sets Christ and all His followers apart is that our lives are at the forefront of the defeat of the powers of darkness. For each believer, the fiercest battle is to overcome the enemy’s attempts to hinder us from becoming a mature warrior in the Kingdom of God. Every time you set your heart to go on with God, that very thought is opposed by Satan. You are a king and a priest, with a great and high calling. While there will always be a difference between Christ and His Church (Christ is God and the Church is not!) yet there is no difference between the resources available to us and those that were available to Christ on the earth. It is thus within your power to throw off the attacks of the wicked one, and to allow the Son of God to be manifest in your life in His fullness.