Satan is Timing Out
Dick Brogden is a long-time missionary to the Middle East and North Africa. He currently serves as the Global leader for Live Dead, a missions movement aimed at planting churches among unreached people groups. His devotional book, “Live/Dead Joy” is one of my very favorites. In one of his devotionals, Brogden describes how to defeat the Devil’s attacks by outlasting him and his demonic forces. He states that enemies have a way of self-destructing if you just give them enough time. For followers of Jesus, time is always on the side of the righteous. The good news is that we will be standing long after our common Enemy and accuser is thrown into the pit.
“But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” (Revelation 12:12)
Revelation 12 reminds us that the Devil is both a deceiver and an accuser, and that because his time is short, his wrath is great. He has no patience due to the fact that he has limited time. He knows Jesus has already won. Therefore, in his frenzied despair, the Devil moves quickly trying to destroy as many people as possible, because he doesn’t have time for long engagements. Brogden goes on to say that when we hold steady against Satan’s lies and attacks, he is compelled to move on to someone more vulnerable. “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). As soon as he sees that we will not yield to his accusations and temptations, he despairs and moves on. Then later, he cycles back at a more opportune time and the battle is rejoined. As it is written, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).
However, one of our surest defenses against a strong foe is to remind him we are protected by God, who is our constant refuge. We do not take lightly Satan’s attacks, for they are fierce. Yet we know we can overcome and outlast them if we remain steadfast in the Lord.
“… for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:1-4). A synonym for steadfast is “resolve.” It is much easier to be patient in the wait, when we are resolved in purpose or belief. Patience, time and continual prayer are key in our fight. With God’s grace, rather than fleeing trouble, we must stand against it:
“In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me:
Flee like a bird to your mountain.” (Ps. 11:1).
Brogden states that when we flee in the face of adversity, we put others at risk for we leave vulnerable ones exposed. He encourages us to stand in the gap, slam our shepherd’s staff down on the bridge like Gandalf in J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel, The Lord of the Rings, and shout: “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”
I just love that analogy! What a powerful visual it is! When we resist and outlast the enemy, by God’s grace, we are saved and others as well. Brogden writes: Patience is a primary weapon, and patience is not passive.
I also found a different quote by Leo Tolstoy who states: “Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
Just think about it! It is impossible to defeat a foe who will not quit, who can endure abuse, and who absorbs punishment knowing that every blow received drains the limited supply of the attacker. Remember this verse: “He (Satan) is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” (Rev.12:12). So today, when the enemy attacks, we must be resolved to stand in an immovable stance, actively and purposefully facing whatever is hurled against us. For we understand through God’s grace that the arsenal of evil is limited and it will not be replenished. Did you hear that my friends? Ultimately, Satan’s power is limited, like leaking batteries with no replacements! Despite his influence, Scripture clearly delineates the boundaries of his power, emphasizing that he operates under divine constraints and cannot act beyond what God permits. Satan is a created being and as a created entity, his power is inherently limited by the Creator. Satan, “The prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:11), and Jesus will one day destroy Satan’s power completely and purify creation. (2 Peter 3:10) Scripture is clear that the end of Satan and all his armies will come. Christ has already won that battle when He defeated sin and death by His work on the cross. It’s only a matter of time that the enemy is cast down once and for all. “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.” Revelation 20:10
What a satisfying and gratifying thought that is!
…Satan is timing out!