259. With Us to Save and Deliver
Jeremiah 42:11 Be not afraid to the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
Babylon is a symbol of the world. The king of Babylon symbolizes Satan, who is the prince of this world. Babylon and the king of Babylon are opposed to God and the kingdom of God (that’s us). We have been in captivity to the King of Babylon (Satan), and we were in exile in Babylon (the world). And we were afraid of this king. The Lord says simply, “Be not afraid!” He says this often, “Fear not!”
The work of the devil is to lie to us and frighten us. He makes us afraid of all the bad things that could happen to us; he gives us many things to worry about; he causes anxiety and fear for the future, and guilt and shame for the past. Then the Lord steps in to be with us while we live in the world, which is under the control of the devil. He promises to “be with us;” Jesus is Immanuel. He has come into our lives to save us from the Satan, who causes us to be afraid. We may believe the Lie, “Be very afraid;” or we may believe the Truth, “Be not afraid.’ The reason for “no fear” is that the Lord has saved us.
The Lord is with us to deliver us from the hand (power or control) of Satan, the ruler of this world. We pray to be delivered from the Evil One; and so the Father does in answer to our prayer. Just as the Lord delivered His people from slavery in Egypt (also the world) and from the Pharaoh (the god of this world), so has the Lord delivered us from Sin, Death and the Devil with His mighty strong hand, which is His great love for us, which put God on the cross. The Pharaoh is judged and we are delivered from his power.
We put this promise into effect when we receive the forgiveness of sins through the Gospel and the Spirit. Once this happens, and it happens often, God is with us to save and deliver. Identify and name the chains that bind and the demons that enslave, declare your deliverance, and enjoy life in the new kingdom. Apply the salvation and deliverance specifically to the problem. God is with you to do it.