The Christmas Dragon

You know about the Christmas dragon, right?

Maybe my family would occasionally refer to me as the Christmas dragon. I do get stressed about not getting everything done. I have also been known to be rather upset when certain individuals go snooping about for Christmas presents and then tell others what they found.

But I’m not talking about that Christmas dragon. I’m talking about the real Christmas dragon. The scary one. The one who wants to steal much more than Christmas from us. 

I’m talking about “a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,[…] and the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. […] And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. […] Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:3-5, 9, 13, 17, ESV)

Christmas brings a great promise of peace. It’s because of Christmas that we who were once enemies of God can now have peace with Him, simply by trusting in Jesus. It’s because of Christmas that we have hope in an eternal peace.

But Christmas is also a reminder of war. A reminder that not everyone celebrated Jesus’s birth. There was a great enemy who wanted Him dead. That same enemy continues to torment.

Like the Grinch, but in much more sinister ways, he would steal our joy at Christmastime and all the time. He is the one who rejoices with news of tragedy in Aleppo. He smiles at the deaths of our loved ones, at our failures, at our discouragement. He especially loves heartache in the lives of those who “hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

But the war is not one-sided. On that day, many years ago, when the dragon stood with his mouth wide open, he did not succeed in devouring his little prey. The baby lived.

And the baby is not a baby anymore. He will ride on a white horse, “Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:11-16, ESV)

Don’t let the dragon steal your joy. Every smile, every song, every word of thanks – they’re all acts of war. And when it’s hard to offer them, remember: the dragon’s days are numbered.

Know someone who would be encouraged by this? Please share!