"For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross." —Colossians 1:19–20

One sobering way to prepare for Christmas is to remember that our spiritual enemy doesn’t take the holidays off. The apostle Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).

Christmas is a season of giving, a season of hope, and a season of joy. But by its very nature, it’s also a season of spiritual battle—and has been ever since the need for Christ’s coming first arose.

The war has been won. Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all. He paid the sacrifice for our sin once and for all. Red is the color of Christmas—not because Santa suits are red or because we wrap packages in red. Red is the color of Christmas because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed. By the shedding of His blood, He made eternal life possible for everyone who believes in Him.

Though the devil has been defeated, he refuses to give up the battle. We see that battle being played out in our culture today. It is the God of the Bible, the true and living God, versus all contenders. This battle goes back to the first Messianic verse in Scripture when, after the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to sin, God said to him, “And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15 NLT).

The cradle of Christ was pointing to the cross. The Incarnation was necessary for atonement. The purpose behind the birth of Jesus was the death of Jesus. This is New Testament Christianity. It’s the division between light and darkness, between righteousness and unrighteousness, between good and evil, and between right and wrong.

Here’s something else to ponder this Christmas season: It’s through conflict that we find real peace. Those who challenge us as believers do so for reasons that have little to do with us. Christ’s arrival in the world changed everything. His light illuminated the darkness. But some people prefer the dark. They don’t want their sins to be known.

So, when they see people who live in the light, it creates conflict within them—conflict that spills out in their reaction to us. But we can trust that through this conflict, ultimate unity will come. Our responsibility is to hold our ground and pray. Pray that these people will think about their souls, consider the claims of Christ, and then ultimately turn their lives over to the Lord.

What a Christmas gift that would be.

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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"For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ&rsquo;s blood on the cross." &mdash;Colossians 1:19&ndash;20
One sobering way to prepare for Christmas is to remember that our spiritual enemy doesn&rsquo;t take the holidays off. The apostle Peter wrote, &ldquo;Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour&rdquo; (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).
Christmas is a season of giving, a season of hope, and a season of joy. But by its very nature, it&rsquo;s also a season of spiritual battle&mdash;and has been ever since the need for Christ&rsquo;s coming first arose.
The war has been won. Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all. He paid the sacrifice for our sin once and for all. Red is the color of Christmas&mdash;not because Santa suits are red or because we wrap packages in red. Red is the color of Christmas because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed. By the shedding of His blood, He made eternal life possible for everyone who believes in Him.
Though the devil has been defeated, he refuses to give up the battle. We see that battle being played out in our culture today. It is the God of the Bible, the true and living God, versus all contenders. This battle goes back to the first Messianic verse in Scripture when, after the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to sin, God said to him, &ldquo;And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel&rdquo; (Genesis 3:15 NLT).
The cradle of Christ was pointing to the cross. The Incarnation was necessary for atonement. The purpose behind the birth of Jesus was the death of Jesus. This is New Testament Christianity. It&rsquo;s the division between light and darkness, between righteousness and unrighteousness, between good and evil, and between right and wrong.
Here&rsquo;s something else to ponder this Christmas season: It&rsquo;s through conflict that we find real peace. Those who challenge us as believers do so for reasons that have little to do with us. Christ&rsquo;s arrival in the world changed everything. His light illuminated the darkness. But some people prefer the dark. They don&rsquo;t want their sins to be known.
So, when they see people who live in the light, it creates conflict within them&mdash;conflict that spills out in their reaction to us. But we can trust that through this conflict, ultimate unity will come. Our responsibility is to hold our ground and pray. Pray that these people will think about their souls, consider the claims of Christ, and then ultimately turn their lives over to the Lord.
What a Christmas gift that would be.
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.