Daily Devotionals

Get in the Game Week 1: Saturday

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20

I have been asking people recently what they think holds people back from sharing their faith. By far, the most common answer I receive is fear. Fear often keeps people from boldly sharing their faith with the people around them. This is fear of losing a relationship, being rejected, fear of saying the wrong thing or not saying the right thing, etc. When fear creeps in and keeps us from sharing our faith, we must remember that God will always be victorious. The enemy will not win/ As we share our faith, we can share knowing that God alone has the victory and power. There is no room for fear when we focus on the victory of our God. 

The apostle Paul writes about God's power and victory in Romans 16. In this passage of Scripture, he warns against false teaching, especially false teaching that causes division. As he warns against false teaching, he praises the Roman church for being obedient and following Christ. He says, "Everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong" (verse 19). Then, he writes, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (verse 20). Because the church in Rome was obediently following Christ and obeying Him, they did not need to worry about the enemy's tactics against them. God will ultimately defeat Satan. This means that they had nothing to fear.

Friends, as we set out to obey Christ and follow Him, we do not have to fear. The God of peace is with us. Amidst persecution, hardships, and difficulties, we can hold on to the truth that He will ultimately defeat the enemy. In the end, He will reign and rule victorious. This means that when we share our faith, we are operating out of victory. May the truth of these words bring life and strength to your bones. May you walk in victory, knowing that your God will always win, and in the end, the enemy will be defeated, and God will be victorious. We know this because Jesus already overcame sin and death. As the old song In Christ Alone says, "No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me!" May you walk in the power of Christ as you share your faith every single day.

Moving toward action

Memorize Romans 16:20 today. Recall this verse any time fear creeps in and threatens to keep you from sharing your faith. Let this verse remind you that we know the end of the story, and there is nothing to fear because God has the ultimate victory.

Going Deeper

Going Deeper - Romans 16:17-27

"And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.

22 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord's followers.

23 Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.

25 Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen."