ESOCS Devotional 25 May 2025 – The Fall and Judgement of False Religion
MEMORY VERSE: “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Revelation 18:2
TEXT: REVELATION 18:1-10
After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her just as she rendered [d]to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
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God hates false religion and false religious practices. They produce idolatry and all kinds of ungodliness and spiritual waywardness. He delights in pure Christian worship and practices. In Revelation Chapter 18, the Scripture shows what will happen to nations, churches and individuals who will fail to worship God in Spirit and in truth but like Babylon be filled with all kinds of vileness and unrestrained sinfulness. Such disposition will bring destruction at the end time.
Again, Babylon the great is said to have “fallen” and the next thing that happened was that it “is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” If we backslide or fall away from true Christian faith and practice, the devil will find the vacuum in us and will fill our hearts and minds with all kinds of filthiness and uncleanliness. Our Lord Jesus warned us: “But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any. Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation” (Matt 12:43-45 AMP). Let us be mindful.
Let us keep alive the light of the word of God in us. We should not allow darkness into our life – the ways of the world and the lust of the flesh. These things defile a man and separate him from God. We need to constantly put a check on our character, behaviour and attitude. Self-examination is very necessary and extremely important if we desire to win the Christian race (2 Cor. 13:5).
We are in the last days. There is no better time to consciously hold onto virtue. We should pursue a life of high level integrity. We should not be lukewarm about the word of God. Let us take it seriously and be intentional in practising it.
CHALLENGES
- Have you slipped into Babylon or are you still genuinely in loyal to Jesus Christ?
PRAYER POINT
- Dear Father, reveal to me where I have missed it while on earth and grant me the grace to repent, in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: 1 Samuel 16:12-23; 17:1-19; Revelation 17:15-end.
ESOCS Devotional 26 May 2025
