Daily Devotional

Scholars define the threefold union of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet as all the false religions of the world. They see the dragon as paganism, or non-Christian religions, in the context of today’s verses.

Does it sound far-fetched? Let’s take a deeper look at the state of religion in our world. Did you know that a single thread runs through every top religion in the world? Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Cao Dai, Baháʼí, Taoism—all of paganism believes in the inherent immortality of the soul. And the two largest sects of the Christian faith, Catholicism and apostate Protestantism, have rejected plain biblical doctrine and believe the same.

The Bible vehemently denounces this as falsehood. Mankind does not have an inherently immortal soul. In fact, the Bible states that no one has a soul; rather, a person is a soul. As Genesis 2:7 says, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (KJV).

The New King James translates “soul” as “being.” A “soul,” then, simply means a creature who is alive. The Bible also tells us that souls die (Ezekiel 18:20; Revelation 16:3 KJV). In fact, the whole point of the gospel is that Christ came to give us immortality; we don’t have it by default.

Why is the belief in the inherent immortality of the soul so dangerous? If you believe that the dead are somehow still living, then you’ve already opened the door to interacting with them. That’s spiritualism—the same deception the false prophet used in Revelation 13:13, 14. The belief in the inherent immortality of the soul is the gateway that gives “unclean spirits” direct access to communing with us. It is paving the way for the sixth plague’s masterful demonic miracles.

Lord Jesus, help me to understand what Your Word says about these sensitive subjects, that I may not fall prey to the devil’s deceptions.

For Further Study: Matthew 12:43–45; Romans 2:5–9; Revelation 18:23