Fresh Bread August 12: The Dragon!

Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the DRAGON and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels (Revelations 12:7-9, NLT).

The word “dragon” here is derived from a Greek word “drakon”, which means “serpent” or “seafish”. Dragon also has another etymological meaning: The One with the Deadly Glance. And the word “glance” means: a brief look or viewpoint. Thus, this word “dragon” tells us something about Satan. It is not saying that when he looks at us, his looks can kill. What it’s telling us is that one of his deceiving devices is to give us a “viewpoint” that will lead to self-destruction (Proverbs 14:12). There are deadly glimpses that he tries to work into our hearts (attitudes) (See: Proverbs 4:23).

The following are his three deadly viewpoints:

Passion. These are desires (sometimes lusts) that lead to our destruction.

Pessimism. This is when one constantly has a negative outlook on situations.

Panic. This is when a person is constantly gripped by fear and apprehension.

PRAYER: Father, help me to possess Your outlook for my life. Far too often I’ve allowed Satan to deceive me with his viewpoint on my relationships (passion), my career (pessimism), or my financial circumstances during these difficult economic times (panic). Father, help me to yield myself to the viewpoint of the Holy Spirit. For it is His job to guide me into all truth (John 16:13). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.