Throughout the Old Testament, Satan was trying to prevent the birth of the deliverer (Genesis 3:15). But he failed: he could not destroy Moses, the deliverer of Israel, nor Jesus Christ, the deliverer of fallen humanity, and he was decisively defeated by Christ in his death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15). Yet that failure does not mean he is no longer a threat to God’s people. He remains dangerous, all the more so because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, warns the apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:8). Christ’s church should not be surprised to face persecution at the hands of the world, at the instigation of Satan. Yet we can also face this persecution in hope, knowing that we serve the same God who foiled Pharaoh’s plans and who will not allow the gates of hell to prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18).