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The IFA staff has produced a series of brief devotional readings based on one of international Bible teacher Derek Prince’s legacy of preached messages. These will help equip you to resist the devil (also called in the Bible “the accuser”) in such a way that he is disarmed in his quest to accuse you before God. Your command of biblical truths concerning the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, will cause Satan to flee from you (James 4:7), enabling you to live a life in God’s grace that is seen in the Bible as being an “overcomer.” While each day’s portion may be a review for many readers, we believe no one will regret adding the various passages to your “spiritual vocabulary.”

Revelation 12:7-13 presents us with a vivid and stirring confrontation between the warrior angel, Michael, and the devil and his angels. “And there was war in heaven” (verse 7). After Michael was victorious, “the great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (verse 9).

There are various interpretations of this passage, but from my studies, I believe this will be a future event; and until this war occurs, Satan and his angels have their place in what the Bible calls “heavenly realms.” We know this because of Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

        Paul testified that he was “caught up to the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12: 2), so we conclude that if there is a third heaven, there must be two other heavens. Scripture confirms this. The “third heaven” is God’s dwelling place. Mankind resides in the first heaven with the visible sky – the “roof of man’s dwelling place.” Between the two we have the “heavenly realms.” Satan and his angels dwell there, seeking to do everything they can to resist, harm, and destroy the purposes of God’s grace, blessings, and mercy on earth. Satan is aptly called the “resister,” because he continually resists God and His people. At the moment of our salvation we are thrust into a mighty battle with those “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

A prime example of this battle is found in the life of Daniel. When the answer to his prayer was delayed, the angel explained that “since the first day…your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.” (Daniel 10: 12-13) This battle took place in Satan’s dwelling place. It’s important to notice that it was Daniel’s prayer on earth that started heaven moving. Such initiatives are born when God’s people acknowledge their need for His help. Our prayers as believers are much more important than many realize. Earth is not the center of the universe, but it is the “stage” of the universe. At this present time, the unseen realm is gazing down upon us. As I have taught before – and it bears repeating – we are a theater to the universe – to God, to men, and to angels.

Action Response: Consider ways to make the most of these powerful teachings you will be receiving over the next few days. Use a Bible memory app to commit the key verses to memory or use 3”x5” index cards to build a collection of the pertinent Scripture verses cited in this devotional series. With text on one side and the reference on the other, you will soon have a pocket-size “concordance” of memory cards to serve as “weapons” in your spiritual warfare.

Subscribe to this series HERE or watch the teaching (one of our most popular videos).

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Alan K. Veasey
February 27, 2019

By the blood of Jesus sin was defeated and so was death. The power of death was overcome and so was the authority over sin(Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day and sin remained in the grave). That’s why the born again Christian is a new creation taking on the incorruption of Christ by grace through faith. There is victory in the blood.

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