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selemina · 5 years ago

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Also you mentioned you have a campaign of your own, meaning you DM it right? Who of your buddies has your current favorite player and who's your favorite NPC you voice?

Well, I don’t do voices and I don’t do favorites, so... XD But I can tell you a bit about the world of the First Casters Campaign! ;)

France, current times. There is a thing called the Synchrotron near paris, which is a big scientific building that essentially curves light and throws it at objects ; depending on how the photons scatter and how deep they go before they bounce, we can learn a lot about said analyzed object.

A nearby math teacher is VERY into science, and manages to organize a visit to the place for his students and a few others. However, things go wrong in a very flashy, but harmless way... Excet people start hearing voices. Seeing symbols, hearing balads they never heard before, having hallucinations... And what about this person that suddenly appeared in a nearby sub-lab, and was immediately covered up and brought out by security?

First Caster is about a group of college students suddenly discovering powers as magic wakes up in our world. Gods come back to life, monsters and creatures come forth, and unexpected travelers ask for help. Turns out this world is somewhat linked to a new one, where magic is very present, but for both worlds, this is first contact... With all the government panic and cover-up that it entails. ;)

Meet the cast! :D Glaire, a trans woman with faulty top surgery and a phoenix ancestry (now happily retired with her BN lover, the group’s tech wizard NPC now that she can maintain alter self all day! :D) Lyn, a reluctant divine soul sorcerer, and newly found aasimar, which a guardian angel she could honestly do without! Damiana, modern artificer and low key psychic, but if she is fully aware of the first part, the second one still remains to be adressed, along with her newly formed tiefling traits! Alexia, Warlock of the grey painting, linked to the central statue of the school’s funder. Her patron was probably one of the last magical adept on this world before the magic went extinct, and they are slowly becoming one as she becomes more and more powerful. Isa, adorable black bard, the moral compass of the group, ultimate soft girl, carrying the spirit of her dead father in her flute for aditional emotional support! Basically she baby. :) Dr. Ivan Standon, no-nonsense cleric of the group, with his.... evolving relationship to the Omideus. Essentially, all the gods have merged into an ever shifting deity, but, well... having a direct line to Gods is not as easy as it seems... ;) Permid, a soft boi Wizard trying his best, and VERY much here to learn more about magic and the other world! If only things could stop being grim and stressful for 5 minutes... And Saka, a “magic cop” from the other world, Looking very competent and professional, but deep down missing his kidnapped brother so freaking much, someone hug this poor dragonborn, please!

A few of my favorite NPCS : Loki : yes, nordic god of mischief, but also the dominant face of the omnideus whenever Ivan is involved. Likes to cosplay other gods for fun. Teasing Ivan is a national sport for him. ;) Damien : Rough district brawler, the kid is actually a repressed softy. Tsundere prime. Loves pastries Alexia make for him. Would kill for anybody of the group, gets siblingly bullied by Damiana. Also a tiefling in desguise. Peter : Yes, hi, did someone say vampire gentleman? :) Yes, I did, and I’m the DM, get a vampire gentleman. Likes to flex on people that believe themselves to be clever, like the next NPC in this list. Special Agent Dylan Ross : Look at this absolute Bastard. Bastard man. Appointed by the government to figure out what the FUCK is going on around Saclay, he’s clearly in over his head, but hey nobody knew magic was a thing, so... He’s a plotting asshole with a tired attitude and sass in every word for anybody antigonizing him. Determined to get to the bottom of this, he’s met with both compliance and held back secrets... Recently got threatened by a 15ft statue! :) Oni : When you make a villain all around a storm theme. To challenge one of your player characters. You overlevel him a bit to be scary but fair-ish, to be able to beat the player character without feeling unfair. You nail the dramatic entrance. Everyone is scared. You down the mouthy cleric with one backhand (Ivan going down was an accident to be fair) and injure half the group to underline that yes, THIS GUY MEANS BUSINESS. You get a hardcore, awesome duel between him and the player character he’s made to be the nemesis of... And then he gets his shit kicked in, doesn’t manage to escape as you had planned, gets actually executed, leaving the group shaken of what they had done. Nobody liked that. Emotions everywhere. You give the cleric one free use of a resurrection spell as an option because fuck, that got dark (amazingly dark, don’t get me wrong, that was good shit right there! Top RP, character development, the whole deal!) So now Ivan has a newly resurrected, naked young adult at the back of his car, driving straight to the hospital, because fuck that noise, let’s not be murderers! And that’s how my latest villain got adopted, after getting killed and resurrected, by the players! :D He’s a loud mouthed bastard, but his japanese demon ancestry also comes with a code of honor : Ivan saved his life, he has a life dept towards him now. Ivan of course won’t let him become a servant, leaving him in a limbo of trying to be useful in any other way, all while rubbing it in everybody’s face all the time that HEY GUYS REMEMBER THAT TIME WHEN YOU KILLED ME? :DDD YEAH ME TOO!

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cptncassianjandor · 7 years ago

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Infinity War/Avengers 4 ending fic?

Ok Infinity Spoilers below so~ ya been warned. I’m tagging it as infinity war stuff as well, double warns my boos.

This is what I think/want to happen at the end of Avengers 4. How they can respectfully move on to phase 4. Word count: 1.9k

“It’s fair, there was no discrimination” Thanos states, he is old and tired. He has fulfilled his own prophecy, there is nothing left for him to do.

“It isn’t fair to take people who have hardly lived their lives” Steve argues, he is hurting, mad over the loss of his friends

“There are those who are no longer suffering” Thanos replied, flashing up an image of Gamora’s planet in fast forward, starting from when he slaughtered half the population to now, the planet is flourishing “They are living the life they deserve. It is fair.”

“So why not target the murderers, the awful people in this world instead of those who are good.” Tony fires up his barely repaired suit, aiming the hand cannons at Thanos, knowing it would only take a flick of his hand to disintegrate Tony to nothing

“Everyone is corrupt, children bully, steal and lie, adults are no better.” Thanos takes a sip of a purple drink, flexing the gauntlet as a reminder or possibly to admire it.

“Only a God has that right, and you are no God” Thor wants nothing more than to slam his axe into Thanos’ ugly face but he knows he can’t yet.

“I’m surprised you’re able to restrain yourself Nebula, and that you’re helping such a rag-tag bunch of people.” He ignores Thor’s outburst and faces his last daughter, knowing she calculates every move he makes.

He casts an eye over the group pointing an array of weapons at him. Steve holding a shield, Tony with his various cannons, Thor’s axe sparks in his hand, Rocket holding Bucky’s gun and his own. Bruce has finally managed to convince Hulk to come out and he stands there in the Hulkbuster armor, Natasha stands with Okoye, M’Baku, and Rhodey. Behind them is Carol, they try to hide her as a surprise,

Thanos knows the odds, has watched this scenario a hundred thousand times and knows how it ends.

“Compared to you they are pleasant company.” Nebula replies, her black eyes boring into his. Her hand disassembles into a cannon and aims at him.

It begins with Thanos disintegrating reality around them all and constructing Titan around them. Why not entertain their delusions until they tire and then wipe them out in one fell swoop.

They go all out, Steve shouting orders and tactics, Tony and Rhodes firing off explosions, Okoye and M’Baku unleash their fury on the thing that destroyed their King. Hulk and Natasha run at him with their might.

Thanos dodges it all, he phases from side to side, reflecting explosives and bullets back at them but they don’t stumble or let him knock them back. Each use of the infinity stones tires him now, each phase is slower, the reality flickering around them as they continue their assault.

“You cannot beat me.” He grunts as he throws Rocket off him for the third time, tiny claw marks covering his arms, tiny bits of shrapnel catch him and cause him to bleed.

“This is not how it goes” He roars, clenching his fist and slamming it into the ground causing a shockwave that knocks them all back.

The assault stops briefly as they stagger back to their feet, and out of all of them, Tony laughs.

“How many outcomes did you watch” Tony wipes a smear of blood from his cheek, annoying grin in place

“A hundred thousand and they were all the same, all of you died at my hands.” He growls back, Thanos is long past letting them tire.

“Out of all 41 million outcomes” Tony begins, he steps forward toward Thanos and Steve falls into place next to Tony. “You only watched a few thousand.”

“Why would I waste my time watching you pathetic mortals fail again and again.” Thanos rolls his shoulders,

“You missed an important one buddy, out of all the 41 million, there was one outcome where we won.” Tony now has the heroes following him toward Thanos.

It is hard for the Mad Titan to not step back as they converge on him.

They stop a short distance away from him. Thanos was wrong. They will not tire with that hope behind them and he cannot bring up the power to obliterate them all at once.

“You are foolish to believe you can win against six infinity stones.” Thanos tries to force the stones to his will, versions of reality fade in and out, he phases through rocks and walls.

They all lash out again, hitting Thanos with everything they have and slowly he is the one who tires, he finds himself making small errors and getting hit, more of his blood is spilt.

He drops to a knee when Hulk hits him in the back and pins his legs down. Stark grapples onto the gauntlet, knowing it can come off with the right amount of force. Natasha, Okoye and M’Baku spear weapons through his other hand pining to the ground.

“You cannot handle them” Thanos gasps as Thor’s axe presses against his chest, splitting the old wound he had. “They are beyond mortal men”

Hulk smashes a fist over Thanos’ head and he goes limp momentarily, just enough for the gauntlet to behind to budge. Steve grabs the rim and yanks hard and it flies off, landing on the ground and twitching violently.

“Without someone to harness the powers, it will destroy us all” Thanos sounds panicked, Nebula is at his throat with a sharp blade that cuts into his neck.

Steve and Tony rush toward the gauntlet, which flies up and hovers between them, Steve’s arm stretches out to grab it but the gauntlet has its own mind and attaches itself to Steve’s hand, the powerful metal molding to his arm.

Thanos slumps to the floor as everyone surrounds Steve, who has dropped to the ground with the gauntlet flashing, his body convulses as he see’s a thousand different things, voices floating through his mind.

“Rogers?” Tony tries to pin Steve down with his anchors, but the gauntlet disintegrates them. The damage that had been evident before was now healing before their eyes.

The crumpled metal smooths into burnished gold, even Steve’s own wounds heal.

In his head the Time stone shows him what he wants to see and things he doesn't. Steve watches an outcome where he lived to dance with Peggy, how he could will that into his life. His heart aches when he sees her, even more when the stone throws more outcomes, they get married, they have children.

We can make it real, for a price.

The stones hum to him, replaying outcome after outcome, one where he brings them all back including Peggy, Bucky's arm is flesh and not metal, Vision is a person. Everyone lives.

But someone has to die.

“Steve?” Natasha says softly, and his head snaps to her “You ok?”

He sits up without saying a word and looks at his hands.

Steve knows what he has to do. Everything will be fixed.

He snaps his fingers, and the world shifts around them.

They are back on Earth, in Wakanda, and those who had disintegrated are there waiting. Tony pulls Peter into a hug, Okoye shouts for T'Challa and Shuri, Gamora is awkwardly pulled into a hug by Nebula and Quill, all of them trying not to cry. Groot is talking with Rocket, who is most definitely crying.

"You big lug nut" Rocket sobs as Groot pats him on the head

"I am Groot." Groot replies and Rocket sobs harder.

"Don't do that to me kid" He is crushing Peter, tears running down his face.

"I'm sorry Mr Stark" Peter is just as distraught, his face wet with tears

Steve turns to Thanos, who has come with them.

"I'm surprised you didn't have me erased. Everything comes at a price." He muses, watching as Thor embraces Loki. "So who didn't you save."

Steve stares at Thanos, who laughs. It is punctured with heavy breaths, Thor's axe cut deeper than expected and now the Titan is drowning in his own blood. Fitting perhaps.

"You could have changed the galaxy a different way. Changed the wills of those who are greedy, power hungry. Instead, you chose mass genocide." Steve ignored Bucky and Sam who are next to him.

He can't face them right now, when this is over, there will be time to talk.

"Genocide is not always bad. It has its uses." Thanos replies

A price the stones remind him, they want blood for their power. He knows, but for now, he ignores them and focuses on Thanos.

"You snapped your fingers and caused a lifetime of suffering to those had done nothing wrong. The rich still feed off the poor. Children go to sleep without food in their bellies." Thanos' voice is weaker, blood flooding the grass beneath him

"Let me kill him."

Steve turns to a person he has never met but knows instantly she is Gamora.

"Sister.." Nebula's voice is strained "Killing him now would be a mercy. He deserves to suffer."

"I thank you for bringing my precious Gamora back Steven. I will gladly die knowing she is safe."

Steve is unused to his full name, especially from an enemy.

"You threw me off a cliff" Gamora screams at him

"For the sake of the galaxy. Everything I did, I did for the sake of the less fortunate." Thanos slumps further into the grass, everyone who Steve brought back is watching from various positions, some grip their weapons in case this is a ploy.

Steve sits down himself, suddenly weary and knows what is happening. He has made up his mind.

"Steve?" Natasha's voice is quiet and he knows he can't avoid telling them anymore

"The stones demand a price" he says quietly, hearing a small bubbling laugh from Thanos as he dies slowly in the grass

"A price Steve? You offered yourself up?" Bucky snaps at his best friend

"I've lived my life Tony. The world doesn't need Captain America anymore, it needs you guys." Steve is aware that he is fading, slowly.

The stones are being patient as he says his goodbyes.

"Buck, we're well over 100 years old. Maybe it's time we retire" Steve jokes, painfully aware of how much he's hurting his friends, how much he's hurting doing this.

It would've been selfish to take someone else, to shorten someone else's life so he could live longer.

"I can't do this without you Steve." Bucky drops next to his friend, gripping Steve's faded shoulder.

"You did pretty well here in Wakanda. Shuri fixed your arm. You're free of any control now Buck."

"This isn't cool Steve. You can't save the world and then.. go." Sam can't bring himself to say the word die "What are we gonna tell them? People look up to you man"

"They look up to Captain America, not Steve Rogers." He closes his eyes, listening as those who know him beg him not to do this, to take them instead.

The ones he doesn't know thank him, for bringing back their loved ones, their family, and friends. He is sad he will never know them beyond the stones knowledge. Steve can't stop the tears as they fall.

There is silence suddenly.

He knows it will end soon.

"You promised me a dance." Peggy's voice makes him open his eyes.

Around them, couples sway to slow-moving jazz music. He doesn't look anywhere but Peggy, stood in a black dress, her hand stretched toward him.

"We don't have long. The song will be over soon" She urges and Steve pulls her toward him.

She laughs against his chest as he holds her tight, swaying in time to the music.

Steve has one last thought before it ends.

The stones were kind.

#infinity war #infinity war spoilers #Avengers #avengers 4 #the avengers #captain america #steve rogers #tony stark #iron man #Guardians of the Galaxy #iw spoilers #fanfic #my bad

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dfroza · 4 years ago

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A story is how our Creator often related to the real lives of people.

to teach. to illuminate spiritual and eternal truth.

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 16th chapter of the book of Luke:

Jesus taught his disciples using this story:

“Once a very rich man hired a manager to run his business and oversee all his wealth. But soon a rumor spread that the manager was wasting his master’s money. So the master called him in and said, ‘Is it true that you are mismanaging my estate? You need to provide me with a complete audit of everything you oversee for me. I’ve decided to dismiss you.’

“The manager thought, ‘Now what am I going to do? I’m finished here. I can’t hide what I’ve done, and I’m too proud to beg. I have an idea that will secure my future. It will win me favor and secure friends who can take care of me and help me when I get fired!’

“So the dishonest manager hatched his scheme. He went to everyone who owed his master money, one by one, and asked them, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ One debtor owed twenty thousand dollars, so he said to him, ‘Let me see your bill. Pay me now and we’ll settle for twenty percent less.’ The clever manager scratched out the original amount owed and reduced it by twenty percent. And to another who owed two hundred thousand dollars, he said, ‘Pay me now and we’ll reduce your bill by fifty percent.’ And the clever manager scratched out the original amount owed and reduced it by half.

“Even though his master was defrauded, when he found out about the shrewd way this manager had feathered his own nest, he congratulated the clever scoundrel for what he’d done to provide for his future.”

Jesus continued, “Remember this: The sons of darkness interact more wisely than the sons of light. Use the wealth of this world to demonstrate your friendship with God by winning friends and blessing others. Then, when it runs out, your generosity will provide you with an eternal reward.

“The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more. If you have not handled the riches of this world with integrity, why should you be trusted with the eternal treasures of the spiritual world? And if you’ve not proven yourself faithful with what belongs to another, why should you be given wealth of your own? It is impossible for a person to serve two masters at the same time. You will be forced to love one and reject the other. One master will be despised and the other will have your loyal devotion. Your choice between God and the wealth of this world is no different. You must enthusiastically love one and definitively reject the other.”

Now, the Jewish religious leaders listening to Jesus were lovers of money. They laughed at what he said and mocked his teachings, so Jesus addressed them directly. “You always want to look spiritual in the eyes of others, but you have forgotten the eyes of God, which see what is inside you. The very things that you approve of and applaud are the things God despises. The law of Moses and the revelation of the prophets have prepared you for the arrival of the kingdom announced by John. Since that time, the wonderful news of God’s kingdom is being preached, and people’s hearts burn with extreme passion to receive it. Heaven and earth will disintegrate before even the smallest detail of the Law will fail or lose its power.

“It is wrong for you to divorce your wife so that you can marry another—that is adultery. And when you take that one you lusted after as your wife, and contribute to the breakup of her marriage, you commit adultery again.”

Jesus continued. “There once was a very rich man who had the finest things imaginable, living every day enjoying his life of opulent luxury. Outside the gate of his mansion was a poor beggar named Lazarus. He lay there every day, covered with boils, and all the neighborhood dogs would come and lick his open sores. The only food he had to eat was the garbage that the rich man threw away.

“One day poor Lazarus died, and the angels of God came and escorted his spirit into paradise.

“The day came that the rich man also died. In hell he looked up from his torment and saw Abraham in the distance, and Lazarus was standing beside him in the glory. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham! Father Abraham! Have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and come to cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames of fire!’

“But Abraham responded, ‘My friend, don’t you remember? While you were alive, you had all you desired. You surrounded yourself in luxury, while Lazarus had nothing. Now Lazarus dwells in the comforts of paradise and you are in agony. Besides, between us is a huge chasm that cannot be bridged, nor can anyone cross from one realm to the other, even if he wanted.’

“The rich man continued, ‘Then let me ask you, Father Abraham, please send Lazarus to my relatives. Tell him to witness to my five brothers and warn them not to end up where I am in this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They’ve already had plenty of warning. They have the teachings of Moses and the revelation of the prophets; let them hear them.’

“ ‘What if they’re not listening?’ the rich man added. ‘If someone from the dead were to go and warn them, they would surely repent.’

“Abraham said to him, ‘If they wouldn’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither would they be convinced if someone were raised from the dead!’ ”

The Book of Luke, Chapter 16 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 24th chapter of the book of Job that rightly coincides with the above:

[An Illusion of Security]

“But if Judgment Day isn’t hidden from the Almighty,

why are we kept in the dark?

There are people out there getting by with murder—

stealing and lying and cheating.

They rip off the poor

and exploit the unfortunate,

Push the helpless into the ditch,

bully the weak so that they fear for their lives.

The poor, like stray dogs and cats,

scavenge for food in back alleys.

They sort through the garbage of the rich,

eke out survival on handouts.

Homeless, they shiver through cold nights on the street;

they’ve no place to lay their heads.

Exposed to the weather, wet and frozen,

they huddle in makeshift shelters.

Nursing mothers have their babies snatched from them;

the infants of the poor are kidnapped and sold.

They go about patched and threadbare;

even the hard workers go hungry.

No matter how backbreaking their labor,

they can never make ends meet.

People are dying right and left, groaning in torment.

The wretched cry out for help

and God does nothing, acts like nothing’s wrong!

“Then there are those who avoid light at all costs,

who scorn the light-filled path.

When the sun goes down, the murderer gets up—

kills the poor and robs the defenseless.

Sexual predators can’t wait for nightfall,

thinking, ‘No one can see us now.’

Burglars do their work at night,

but keep well out of sight through the day.

They want nothing to do with light.

Deep darkness is morning for that bunch;

they make the terrors of darkness their companions in crime.

“They are scraps of wood floating on the water—

useless, cursed junk, good for nothing.

As surely as snow melts under the hot, summer sun,

sinners disappear in the grave.

The womb has forgotten them, worms have relished them—

nothing that is evil lasts.

Unscrupulous,

they prey on those less fortunate.

However much they strut and flex their muscles,

there’s nothing to them. They’re hollow.

They may have an illusion of security,

but God has his eye on them.

They may get their brief successes,

but then it’s over, nothing to show for it.

Like yesterday’s newspaper,

they’re used to wrap up the garbage.

You’re free to try to prove me a liar,

but you won’t be able to do it.”

The Book of Job, Chapter 24 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Saturday, may 1 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about knowing God from a new True nature:

What is the goal of your relationship with God? Is it the hope of paradise where pleasures abound and all your desires are fulfilled? Yeshua taught that the purpose of a relationship with God was to discover divine life by knowing the truth of God revealed in him. He said to his disciples: "This is eternal life (חַיֵּ�� עוֹלָם) that they may know you the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah whom you have sent" (John 17:3). Knowing God in this way means understanding his heart and character, and learning to become "mature" (i.e., τέλειον, “complete, whole, finished”) through your union with the Messiah (Col. 1:28; Eph. 4:13). Practically speaking we "put on" a new spiritual nature (our "new self") which is created after the likeness of God (כִּדְמוּת אֱלהִים) in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24). We know and believe who we are as God's beloved children (Rom. 8:29). This is a matter of faith, indeed, but it is also a matter of the will. We must line up our attitudes and emotions in light of the truth of reality...

Immature emotions are out of alignment with what is real, evidencing disordered affections based on illusions. "Putting away childish things" (1 Cor. 13:11) means surrendering or letting die (καταργέω) self-centered emotions and desires, letting go of self-pity or bitterness, and refusing to blame others. Spiritual maturity implies humility, denying yourself, a word that means to stop thinking about yourself (from α-, "not," +ῥέω, "to speak"), and living the truth by sharing God's redemptive vision and mission for others. We must be careful, however, not to drift away, since it is possible to "forget" the truth that once guided our way; and it is possible to become dull of hearing, shortsighted, and to stop growing in relationship with God (Heb. 2:1). Spiritual truth is not merely intellectual but existential: we must earnestly pursue (διώκω) our heavenly calling (Phil 3:14) and this requires the daily and ongoing decision to live before the LORD our God (Psalm 16:8). The invitation to "choose this day whom you will serve" (Josh. 24:15) implies that is your choice - and your responsibility - to draw near to God (James 4:8). We can do this by studying and memorizing Scripture, meditating, praying, and sharing our hope with others. Above all we must ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit to "bear us up into maturity" (i.e., ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα φερώμεθα, Heb 6:1) so that we may learn from our Master who calls us to be joined to his yoke and learn from him (Matt. 11:29). [Hebrew for Christians]

4.30.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

May 1, 2021

Bruising the Devil

“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (Romans 16:20)

This is an intriguing promise, suggesting that believers can somehow inflict bruises on the devil, who is perpetually seeking to “devour” them (1 Peter 5:8). This promise is a clear allusion to the primeval assurance of Genesis 3:15, when God promised that the unique “seed” of “the woman” would eventually “bruise” (actually “crush”) the head of the old serpent, the devil. This prophecy will finally be fulfilled in Christ’s ultimate victory, when Satan first will be bound for a thousand years in the bottomless pit and then confined forever in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:2, 10).

In the meantime believers, who also in a sense are the woman’s spiritual “seed” (Revelation 12:17), can repeatedly achieve local and temporary victories over Satan and his wiles by resisting him “stedfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). If we resist him as Jesus did with relevant Scripture, then God promises that he will “flee from you” (James 4:7). Such local victories can be obtained over these dangerous teachers whom Satan is using (note Romans 16:17-19, just preceding today’s text) “shortly” in this manner, but we need to be continually alert against his recurrent attacks. The ultimate victory over Satan, of course, will be won only by the Lord Jesus when He returns, and we must “be sober, be vigilant” (1 Peter 5:8) until that time.

Whether we are aware of it or not, we must perpetually “wrestle...against the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesians 6:12), who will be casting “fiery darts” (v. 16) against each believer. Finally, with the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God (v. 17), we can even by God’s grace inflict spiritual wounds on Satan himself! HMM

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