“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Satan also know the scriptures. He purposely twists them, as he did when he tempted Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11), but you have to have something before you can do something to it. He knows what the Word of God says, and he perverts and opposes it in every way he can. He twisted the Word of God in an attempt to fool Jesus, like he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-2). Of course Jesus saw right through that. He replied with the pure Word of God. Man can make bread to feed the body, but man’s eternal life is solely dependent on the every single Word that comes from God.
Satan tried to get Jesus to: 1) Depend on His own power rather than wait for and be satisfied with what God provides. 2) This time the devil tempted Jesus to put God’s promises to the test. Jesus would not and did not need to test whether or not God loved and protected Him. Jesus knew He did. He would not ask God to “prove it.” 3) The devil has the authority that Adam ceded to him (by sinning) in the Garden of Eden. The third temptation was to bow down to the devil and worship him. What a disgusting demand! Now Jesus did not contest that the devil had some authority, but He knew that ultimate authority belongs to God and that the Father, whom Jesus did believe and obey, has already promised Him that all authority would be His (Matthew 28:18, 1 Corinthians 15:27, Ephesians 1:21, Philippians 2:9, John 3:35). At this point Jesus again responded with the superior Word of God and then showed His own authority as He sent the devil away. Yes, the devil knows the Word of God and tries twists it and tries to get us to believe his lies. Our defense is knowing the Word of God. If we know the truth then lies are easily identified. Whatever is not the truth is a lie.
Since the devil knows the Word he knows his time is short. He is feverishly working to make another run at overthrowing the authority of God. He knows the Word but he does not love and live in the Word. So he is always trying to break the absolute authority of the Word, but He cannot. He cannot because He is not the one in control. God is in control and every word and letter in the bible either has happened or will happen. For Believers, that is a foundation of our belief and our hope. The Word of God is true in every way and Jesus is the physical Word of God and He therefore He is the Truth.
The devil knows Jesus is coming, but he does not know exactly when. The exact day and time of Jesus is only known by God. The devil has gathered an army to oppose the return of Christ. He will attempt to fight Jesus. Jesus destroys him and his accumulated army just by His Words. The devil is less of a match for God than a leaf on a beach is powerful enough to stop a tidal wave from advancing past it. Silly.
Here the Word makes a promise to those who stay awake. Awake to what? To knowing, obeying and walking in the will of God. This message is directed to someone who isawake and to whom should not fall asleep. This message is to the believer to continue on and to remain clothed. Clothed in what? Clothed in the righteousness that is only received from the person and work of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:6-8).
For those who do not “remain,” they will then be naked and shamefully exposed. Even those who have rejected God and taken the mark of the beast (the real walking dead) will recognize the nakedness of these who have not “remained.” They will scoff at them and point at them. They will shout out the disgrace that these now walk in. These bring shame to the Lord’s name (Hebrews 6:5-6).
“16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” The spirits of the evil three draw the kings to fight against God. They think themselves in control, but God had said this would happen thousands of years before (Joel 2, 3:12-14, Zephaniah 3:8, Ezekiel 38-39, Revelation 16, 17, 19). Satan, though he wants to prevent the Word of God from being true, is merely another thing that God may use at any time to bring about His will. Family, once again, it is God who in control. Always God is in control.
As we read the book of Revelation we sorrow for the lost but squirm with joy as we see our salvation approach. To the unredeemed the book of Revelation is something to be feared, denied and hated. To us, the redeemed, the book of Revelation is our notice that the Wedding Supper of the Lamb is coming and we have seats reserved for us. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.