"David, why would you be prowling around through the night? Too much caffeine, or did you have something on your mind?" He thinks to himself: "Too much on my mind??! That's an understatement. If you only knew half of what was going on, you wouldn't sleep either!"
Worried sick. The tension is mounting. It seems that all the progress made is being lost. Things seem like they’re going down the tubes – unravelling piece by piece. Peace and harmony seem like distant memories or vague dreams.
Did you know that before sin entered the human family through our first parents, there were no burdens, worries, unhealthy tension or sleepless nights? There was no backstabbing, no crafty maneuvers, no character assassinations, no malicious missiles, no subtle underminings, no hurtful betrayals, no twisted half-truths —nothing to cause division and nothing to disrupt the peace. Peace reigned.
The Apostle Paul wrote a lengthy letter to the believers in Rome. If you haven’t studied the Epistle to the Romans, you should. We all need to be grounded in the fundamental truths taught in the book of Romans. But just before he concludes, he warns them against so-called Christians and false teachers who would worm their way into a company of believers and, like termites, try to eat away at the very structure of the gathering.
Paul warned that there would be those who would seek to disrupt the peace, decimate the unity and destroy the fellowship. He issues a stern warning to be on guard – not just to keep your eyes open, but to actively scrutinize those who are causing a disturbance and then take decisive remedial action. That’s the thought in Romans 16:17.
But right on the heels of that stern warning to those who would disrupt peace is this verse:
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Romans 16:20
The thought isn’t a mere bruising of Satan – but a complete crushing of the enemy of peace. Picture a young David with his feet firmly placed on the torso of the horizontal Goliath and his arms raised in victory. The mortal wound happened when the stone sank into his head. The deed was done. But then there was the public wave of triumph when David used Goliath’s sword to show the world that this enemy had been defeated and removed forever!
Satan received his mortal wound at Calvary. At the cross, Christ delivered the conquering blow to Satan. The sentence of eternal defeat and damnation was passed upon Satan. His days are numbered. The God of peace will publicly demonstrate to the universe the crushing of Satan and all he represents.
Even though we may feel downtrodden by the feet of others today because of the effects of sin and the workings of Satan —the future is bright. Our feet will join in the public triumph of Christ as Satan is crushed forever, and eternal peace once again reigns.
In the meantime, dear Child of God, remember your God is the God of Peace. Perhaps you are up against some extreme weather. Violent winds seem to be rocking your very foundation. Five times over in the New Testament, your God is referred to as the God of Peace. You also know the Prince of Peace who conquered at Calvary.
Even if it is a whirlwind outside and the howling winds of hurt, unrest, disappointment or profound sorrow are tearing things up, tipping things over and blowing things around, close the door of your heart just now and get alone with the God of Peace and let Him calm and soothe your troubled soul. To the howling wind and boisterous waves, He said: “Peace be still.”
There is a note of triumph and great consolation with which to end this Bible Bite. Caffeine may not be the cause of your restless nights. Your heavy burdens may very well be causing you to lose sleep. Consider these verses from Hebrews 4 and, in particular, notice the phrase “passed through”:
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens— [say it out loud to yourself: passed through the heavens …] Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
The resurrection and glorious ascension of your Saviour and Lord to the very right hand of God is all the evidence you need to assure you of His ultimate triumph over darkness, evil, unrest, turmoil, suffering and sorrow. The Risen Christ passed through the very domain of Satan (Ephesians 2:2, 6:12) as He ascended. Yes, your Great High Priest “passed through the heavens,” and the God of Peace is still on the throne.