Salvation From Our Enemies

We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live

Luke 1:74-75

The naming ceremony of John the baptist must have been one of the most dramatic namings in human history. 

First, it started with an argument about what name he should bear- the name given to him by God before he was conceived or the name his family would call him according to tradition. Thank God for a woman like Elizabeth who insisted the name had to be John! That notwithstanding, the family challenged her decision and won’t accept it until there was validation from the child’s father who unfortunately was unable to talk. It was at this moment that the Lord stepped in. They used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise, he wrote, “His name is John.” And as if that was not enough, “Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God”.(Luke 1:64)

While everyone was still lost in amazement, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. His prophecy about the child, his mission and the coming messiah occupied Luke 1:68-79. While there were many prophecies here, today we will focus on just one in verses 71-72 “salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant”.  Who is the enemy being referred to here? Well, if you had asked an average Jewish person in Zachariah’s days, the enemy of Israel was simply Rome. Yet, Jesus didn’t come to deliver them from Rome, he came to deliver them from a more serious enemy, the one they can never conquer however much they tried; Jesus came to deliver them from sin, the enemy of their soul. 

The ministry of the messiah in our life hasn’t changed today. While he will deliver us from sickness, financial debt and other afflictions of the devil. He must first deliver us from sin. Paul described what this experience should look like in Romans 6:14 when he said “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

Are you still struggling with sinful habits? The truth is Jesus gave you victory already and all you need to do is actualise it. Ask the lord for help in possessing your victory today, it is yours already. Remember what the scriptures say “The one who practises sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 AMP). Let Jesus come into your life today and do what he does best – destroying the works of Satan, especially sin.

PRAYER