The Bible tells us that the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) But have you ever wondered why he acts like a roaring lion?
It has something to do with a lion’s roar. In the Bible, the roaring of a lion speaks of the king’s wrath—“The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion”. So when the devil walks about like a roaring lion, he is trying to give you the impression that the King is angry with you. And when you believe that God is angry with you, the devil knows that he has got you.
When you think that God is angry or displeased with you, you will not be confident of His love toward you. Instead, you will expect and fear punishment from Him. And you will want to stay away from Him because you do not wish to incur His wrath any further.
But the truth is that God is not angry with you, even when you fail or blow it, because all your sins have already been judged in the body of His Son at the cross. As the Lamb of God, Jesus became your burnt offering. That is why He said, “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
Those who heard Him say that at Calvary that day thought that His thirst was physical. Actually, His thirst was spiritual because He was being “burnt” by the fire of God’s wrath. He was being judged for our sins. His body exhausted all of God’s wrath until every claim of God’s holiness was satisfied and His wrath appeased!
Now, there is a law called “the law of double jeopardy”, which states that the same crime cannot be tried twice. Today, the fire of God’s wrath will never fall on you as a believer because it has already fallen on His Son at the cross. He judged your sins then, but in the body of His Son.
So right now, you are not under the King’s wrath but His favor. And His favor rains down on you like dew on the grass every morning!
Thought for the day
You are not under the King’s wrath but His favour.
- Joseph Prince is the senior pastor of New Creation Church, which has a congregation of more than 30,000 members. He separately heads Joseph Prince Ministries, Inc, an international, non-profit organisation that seeks to build, encourage and inspire people with the gospel of Jesus Christ through broadcasting as well as new media technology. Visit ministry website