Daily Devotional

Yesterday’s verse told us that the devil reacted to Christ’s victory at the cross with “great wrath.” He was furious. And it makes sense. What was supposed to be his biggest victory was actually his most glaring defeat, spelling out his ultimate destruction. But since the devil couldn’t go after “the male Child” anymore (Revelation 12:5), he started to go after those closest to Christ, “the woman,” His church. That is how he most hurts God: To every person the devil tempts into losing salvation, the manifestation of Christ’s love for them—His sacrifice—is made worthless.

A mere three-and-a-half years after Christ’s death and resurrection, “a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1). All of the remaining original apostles—except for John—were martyred within the first century AD, as was the apostle Paul. Roman Emperor Nero, to which some attribute the deaths of Peter and Paul, began to persecute Christians nationwide, as did many emperors after him. Christ warned His disciples that this would happen (Luke 21:12; John 15:20). Given today’s verse, who do you think was the main influencer behind these persecutions?

We’ve learned that the papacy was the main persecutor of Christians in the Dark Ages, but at this point, the ancient Roman Empire was a pagan state, having adopted the polytheism and hedonistic rituals of the empires preceding it. Yet it is this same Roman entity, in its early, pagan form, that the devil used to attack Christ’s church. Daniel prophesied this very fact in his description of “a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet” (Daniel 7:7). This “fourth kingdom on earth” (v. 23) was pagan Rome.

Such a portrayal certainly fits the outright brutality of pagan Rome’s persecution of Christians. Satan in his dragon form hides none of his violence, hatred, and ruthlessness. But the more he martyred the masses, the more they grew. As Christian apologist Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” And so Satan changed his tactics …

Lord of Hosts, when persecution comes, give me strength to stand for You, spreading the everlasting gospel to all the world.

For Further Study: John 15:20; 1 Corinthians 1:17; Hebrews 2:14, 15