Have you seen the animated family movie How To Train Your Dragon? It’s the story of a Norse boy, Hiccup, from the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life and a means of survival. In his endeavors to be an accomplished dragon slayer, Hiccup encounters an injured dragon named Toothless, and feels compassion for the beast. Through a series of events including a growing friendship, intense battles, and convincing the village people that dragons are not all bad, they end up learning to live peacefully together.
In this fictional story, dragons can be tamed. That is not the case however with the dragon in Revelation 12. Verse 9 says, “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.” This dragon cannot be trained – it can only be out-trained. Out-training requires knowing just how dangerous your enemy is and then using the exact weapons that are necessary to overcome it.
One of Satan’s greatest tactics is to accuse God’s people. He is the great deceiver; the father of lies. He works overtime trying to convince us that we aren’t good enough, we’re not really loved, and that our sins create our identity. He tells us that we are known for what we have done, or haven’t done, and the world will look on in disdain. Bottom line – we are each a hopeless cause – doomed to destruction, so we might as well stop trying. In John 8:44, Jesus says of Satan, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Father of Lies – What a name! Satan tells us anything he can to convince us that we are hopeless, wretched people who will never amount to anything. False accusation is one of his greatest tactics.
Oh, but the beauty is that we, the redeemed children of God, have the most powerful weapon of all to overcome the accuser: the blood of Christ. Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
You are forgiven. You are redeemed. You are righteous! So when the dragon attacks, when he throws accusations from every angle, remember, you are forgiven and protected; covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. You have weapons at your disposal that far exceed any of Satan’s tactics. You can out-train the dragon!
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director