Exodus 7:8-25 “The Serpent and the Blood”

“Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the LORD had predicted.”
Exodus 7:11–13 (NLT)

Earlier, Pharaoh had asked the question, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let the people go?” (Exodus 5:2). Through one sign and ten plagues, God would show him exactly who He was! These were intended not only to judge Pharaoh for his stubbornness, but also the Egyptian gods. The LORD demonstrated that there is no other god like Him.

At first, it seemed like Pharaoh’s magicians were keeping up. They threw down their staffs and they became serpents. They were also able to turn water into blood. But it was clear that they were inferior. Aaron’s serpent ate up their serpents! They could turn water into blood, but they were powerless to end the curse and turn the Nile from blood back to water.

This is often how Satan works. He seeks to imitate the works of God. He is a deceiver and the father of lies. At first, he seems to get the upper hand in the struggle. But God has defeated him and will ultimately destroy him in the future. And if we continue to trust in the LORD, then we will overcome him.

Do not be bewitched and bedazzled by Satan’s devices. Rather, learn to resist the devil and hold fast to the LORD and His Word. You will keep yourself from falling into deception, and you will witness God’s deliverance. The battle belongs to the LORD!

In Revelation 12, the apostle John gives the account of Satan’s ultimate demise and the victory of the saints.

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.’”
Revelation 12:10–11 (NKJV)

Beloved child of God, you are an overcomer through Christ who loves you!