Fort Satan

In the fall of 1939 Hitler and the armies of Germany would begin the race through Europe and no army was able to stop him.  In about nine months the forces of Germany would defeat and take over most of Europe.  Hitler would work to turn Europe into his own big Hitler-esque fort.

Until D-Day Hitler must have been pretty proud of himself and talked himself into believing that Europe was his personal tyranny and despotic playground.  Practically speaking, looking at the Allies led by Britain, Hitler’s empire seemed pretty secure.  Only with D-Day would light develop to free the continent.

Satan’s secure rule

Prior to God’s own version of D-Day, the birth of Jesus, Satan must have thought that his rule on earth was pretty secure.

Through the years Satan has tried to crush God’s Word and people with armies, enslavement, and tyranny.  He has tried to warp God’s people by focusing attention upon money and the accumulation of power.  The devil has trained and sent false prophets to change God’s gospel and God’s law.  He has attempted to turn the Bible into just another book.  The devil has encouraged the church to be legalistic with a focus on the law rather than the gospel, and self-absorbed in the power of being a church.

Jesus brings God’s D-Day

But Jesus invaded Satan’s fort as true God who took on our humanity.  He lived a perfect life for us and then paid for the curse of sin by dying on the cross.  With grace, mercy, and forgiveness Jesus invaded Fort Satan and saves all people who look, listen and believe.  The tyranny of Satan can be replaced by freedom for all who believe.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15).
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Read the entire devotion at Growing In Jesus.