The Lion on the Throne I Lions, Giants & Bears, But God I Frank Santora

Jul 28, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Lion Who Demands Willful Allegiance

This lion king requires surrendered hearts, not forced obedience. His throne room overflows with voluntary worshipers who recognize His worthiness. While every knee will eventually bow, He patiently knocks at the door of human hearts. True freedom comes when we relinquish control to the One who conquered death. Our choices matter – each “no” to temptation declares His reign. Chains break when we trust His leadership over our limited perspective. [13:06]

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:10-11, NKJV)

Reflection: Where have you been trying to negotiate with God rather than surrender? What area of your life feels like “forced compliance” instead of joyful allegiance?

Day 2: Midnight Praise in the Inner Prison

Darkness intensifies worship’s power. When chains clank and wounds bleed, praise becomes a throne-establishing act. Paul and Silas chose songs over sulking, transforming their prison into a sanctuary. Their midnight melody shook foundations because it declared an unshakable King. True worship ignores circumstantial evidence, focusing instead on Christ’s eternal victory. Every hymn in hardship declares the enemy’s defeat. [34:20]

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”
(Acts 16:25-26, NKJV)

Reflection: What “midnight situation” have you been facing silently? How could praise shift your perspective from prisoner to throne-bearer today?

Day 3: The Scent Anointing of Prayer and Praise

Lions track fragrances for miles. Our prayers rise like incense and our praise carries the aroma of Christ’s victory. These spiritual scents attract heaven’s attention, releasing breakthrough oil. Just as ancient wrestlers oiled themselves to escape grips, our worship makes us slippery to the enemy’s tactics. Persistent praise saturates atmospheres, marking territories for Kingdom advance. [39:28]

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
(Revelation 5:8, NKJV)

Reflection: What “spiritual scent” does your daily life emit? How could intentional worship make you more resistant to the enemy’s grasp this week?

Day 4: The Lamb Who Roars as a Lion

Scarred paws hold scepters. The throne’s center displays a once-slaughtered Lamb now roaring in triumph. His wounds testify to love’s cost while His authority shakes creation. This paradox defines our King – vulnerability clothed in omnipotence. Every healed heart and broken chain proves His dual nature as Suffering Servant and Conquering Lion. [43:26]

“But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’ And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne... stood a Lamb as though it had been slain.”
(Revelation 5:5-6, NKJV)

Reflection: How does Christ’s sacrifice deepen your trust in His leadership? Where do you need His lamb-like tenderness and lion-like strength today?

Day 5: Trading Turkish Delight for the True King

Counterfeit crowns promise satisfaction but leave chains. Like Edmund trading allegiance for enchanted candy, we often bargain with lesser kings. The true Lion offers lasting dominion to those who reject temporary treats. Every “no” to temptation’s sweetness strengthens our capacity to feast at the King’s table. True freedom comes when we starve imposters and savor Christ. [54:11]

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15, NKJV)

Reflection: What “Turkish delight” has been distracting you from wholehearted devotion? What practical step will you take today to reaffirm Christ’s throne in that area?

Sermon Summary

Revelation 5 opens with a scroll in the right hand of the One on the throne, sealed with seven seals, and no one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth is worthy to open it. John weeps much until the elder says, “Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed.” Jesus stands there as the greatest Lion of all, king of kings and lord of lords, ruling over kingdoms, sickness, darkness, depression, demons, and everything the enemy throws at a life.

The counterfeit lion is often imitated but never duplicated. First Peter says the devil walks about “as a roaring lion,” but Jesus is the Lion. Satan’s old cry in Isaiah was “I will,” and his old ambition was God’s throne. God cannot be overthrown from heaven’s throne, but the enemy still fights for the throne of the heart. Temptation comes like a good deal, a billboard, an impossible burger that looks like beef, smells like beef, and still is not the real thing. The heart has to say, “No deal,” because one lion brings life and the other comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Revelation’s throne room shows that the true Lion demands willful allegiance. Every creature cries, “Blessing and honor and glory and power,” but nobody bows at gunpoint. Jesus could force every knee to bow, yet he stands and knocks. The Gadarene man shows what counterfeit surrender produces: chains, tombs, crying, cutting, and bondage. One word from Jesus does what a thousand chains could not do, leaving the man clothed, seated, and in his right mind.

Genesis 49 shows why Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. Judah means praise, and Jacob’s prophecy points to the scepter staying in Judah until Shiloh comes, the One whose right it is. Seventeen hundred years later, God keeps that word, proving that a promise from God is not a maybe. Praise becomes God’s love language, not because praise makes him king, but because praise enthrones his presence in the middle of the mess.

John hears “Lion” but sees “a Lamb as though it had been slain.” Jesus is high enough to rule and loving enough to sacrifice. The Old Testament kept king, priest, and sacrifice separate, but Jesus brings all three together as King, High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, and Lamb once for all. The lion lays down his life for traitors, like Aslan at the stone table, and death starts working backward. The only proper response is worship: crowns off, knees down, and “You are worthy.”

Key Takeaways

1. Counterfeits want the throne The enemy rarely starts by looking ugly; he starts by advertising what looks useful, pleasurable, or harmless. A habit, a screen, a relationship, or a bank account can slide onto the throne quietly before the heart realizes allegiance has shifted. The heart is guarded not by pretending temptation is weak, but by recognizing that only Jesus has the right to rule there. [09:32]
2. Surrender chooses its master Neither divine sovereignty nor satanic subtlety removes the responsibility of the will. A “no” to Jesus becomes an open invitation to the counterfeit lion, while surrender to Christ produces freedom rather than bondage. The spiritual life is not a neutral space; every human being yields somewhere, and the fruit reveals the master. [14:33]
3. Praise enthrones God in trouble Praise does not make God king, because his throne is already established. Praise brings the authority of that throne into the middle of the circumstance, declaring that the enemy does not rule the marriage, the body, the family, or the future. A praise in the dark becomes a throne in the prison, and chains lose their grip when God’s presence fills the place. [28:02]
4. The Lion is the Lamb John hears Lion and sees a slain Lamb, because Jesus conquers by sacrifice. His authority is not separated from his wounds, and his reign is not detached from redemption. The King who asks for surrender has already surrendered himself, laying down his life so traitors could walk free. [43:26]
5. Tithing answers finished victory Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek came before the law, after victory, bread, and wine. That act was not cold religious payment, but a love response to deliverance and blessing. Tithing asks whether Christ is King of all or only King of the parts that feel convenient.

## [50:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:17] - Revelation 5 and the Worthy One
[03:25] - Lions, Giants, Bears, but God
[05:03] - Imitated but Never Duplicated
[08:46] - The Battle for the Heart’s Throne
[11:34] - Willful Allegiance to the King
[16:10] - The Gadarene Man and True Freedom
[20:26] - The Lion from Judah
[25:35] - Praise Is God’s Love Language
[30:16] - Sending Praise Before the Battle
[32:59] - Midnight Praise Breaks Chains
[42:49] - The Lion Is Also the Lamb
[46:48] - King, Priest, and Sacrifice
[53:46] - Aslan, Edmund, and Redemption
[58:51] - Worthy of Every Crown

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Revelation 5:1-6
“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’ And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” [01:17]

Genesis 49:8-10
“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” [20:45]

1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” [05:09]

Mark 5:1-15
“Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.’ For He said to him, ‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit!’ Then He asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And he answered, saying, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, ‘Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.’ And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.” [16:10]

Psalm 22:3
“But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” [26:50]

Observation questions

In Revelation 5, what does John first hear about Jesus, and what does he then see when he looks? [43:26]
In Genesis 49, what words and images are connected to Judah—especially praise, the lion, the scepter, and obedience?
In Mark 5, what details show the condition of the Gadarene man before Jesus set him free, and what details show his condition afterward? [19:54]
In 1 Peter 5:8, how is the devil described, and how is that different from the picture of Jesus in Revelation 5? [05:09]

Interpretation questions

If John hears “Lion” but sees “a Lamb as though it had been slain,” what does that reveal about the way Jesus wins and rules? [43:26]
Genesis 49 says the scepter would remain with Judah until Shiloh comes. How does that help explain why Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and why God’s promises can be trusted even when fulfillment takes a long time? [22:19]
Revelation 5 shows heaven worshiping willingly, not by force. What does that suggest about the kind of surrender Jesus desires from people now? [12:44]
Psalm 22:3 says God is enthroned in the praises of Israel. How should that be understood in a way that honors God’s rule without making it sound like human praise creates his kingship? [28:02]

Application questions

The enemy fights for the throne of the heart. What has looked harmless, useful, or attractive lately but may actually be competing with Jesus for first place in life? A habit, a screen, a relationship, an image, a career, or something else? [09:32]
A “no” to Jesus opens the door to another master. Where is it easiest right now to delay obedience, make excuses, or say “no deal” to God’s way because the counterfeit looks easier or more satisfying? [14:33]
The Gadarene man shows that counterfeit surrender leads to bondage, but Jesus brings a person into freedom, clarity, and peace. Where does life feel tangled, driven, or spiritually noisy right now, and what might surrender to Jesus look like in that exact place? [19:43]
Praise does not make God king, but it does welcome his rule into the middle of trouble. What would it look like this week to put praise in the middle of a real situation—fear, conflict, grief, financial pressure, or discouragement—instead of waiting for the situation to improve first? [28:28]
Midnight praise is praise offered when there is no visible reason yet to celebrate. What is one dark place or unresolved burden where choosing to praise God would be an act of trust rather than a feeling? [35:01]
Jesus is not only the Lion; he is also the Lamb who gave himself for traitors. How does remembering his sacrifice change the way a person responds when conviction, shame, or failure is heavy? [57:32]
If Jesus is King, Priest, and Sacrifice all in one, then no area of life is meant to stay outside his rule. Which area is hardest to place fully under his lordship right now—time, money, plans, relationships, private thoughts, or something else? [51:35]

Sermon Clips

33s

#PraiseInTheMess

“See, every time you praise, you are putting the imitation enemy on notice. You don't reign here. God does. You don't rule in my marriage. You don't rule in my health. You don't rule in my family. You don't rule in my finances. You don't rule in my dreams or in my destination. No matter what it looks like, God's throne rules and reigns here. Whenever you praise, you set up a throne in the middle of your mess. You set up God's authority in the middle of your situation.”

49s

#AslanResurrection

“But God is smarter, so she's smiling smugly. And when a willing This was the magic in in in in Narnia. And when a willing and innocent victim dies in a traitor's place, death itself starts working backwards. And at dawn, the stone table cracks, and Aslan, the lion is alive, and his roar shakes all of Narnia. And Lewis wasn't just telling us a children's story. Lewis was telling us the story of redemption. He was telling us the story about the lion who was on the throne, that he gave his life for you and I so that traders like you and me could walk free.”

38s

#PromisesYouCanBankOn

“What does this mean? Seventeen hundred years from Jacob prophesying it to Revelation it coming to pass. Seventeen hundred years and God's word came to pass. If God could keep his word, seventeen hundred years after prophecy, God can keep his word to you. He is watching over his word waiting to perform it in your life. Listen to me. If God has given you a promise, take it to the bank.”

50s

#ChooseYesToJesus

“Both lions call for our surrender, and both require an act of your will. Listen to me. Because neither God in his sovereignty or the devil in his subtility can make you and I do anything. I don't know where we got this. The devil made me do it. The devil didn't make you do nothing. That's an excuse. It's an excuse because we wanna do what's right, what's what what we wanna do, and not what's right in the eyes of God. We have the choice. We have the power to say yes, and we have the power to say no. You enjoy salvation is when you say yes to Jesus. And when you say no to Jesus, you don't enjoy everything that salvation has to offer.”

39s

#LionNotJustLamb

“He came the first time as a whelp, a baby in Bethlehem's manger, meek and lowly. But Revelation, by the time we get there, he's a full grown lion who has prevailed. And here's the problem, a lot of people get stuck on the meek and lowly Jesus and completely miss the lion Jesus. They like the baby in the manger and the meek and mild Jesus because he makes no demands and he fits in their pocket. But but the Jesus of Revelation is the king of kings and lord of lords. He rules and he reigns.”

41s

#JesusOurHighPriest

“He's our all in all. This high priest has been earthly priest offered lambs year after year. Our high priest offered himself once and for all. Earthly priests entered the holy of holies trembling behind the veil. The priest our priest tore the veil from top to bottom. Earthly priests needed a sacrifice for their own sins. Our priest was sinless and became the sacrifice for our sins. Earthly priests couldn't be touched by your infirmity, otherwise they would become clean. Our high priest is touched with the feeling of our infirmity. Earthly priest died and had to be replaced. Our high priest lives and makes intercession for us.”

28s

#NoDealToTemptation

“And so when the devil brings temptation into our lives, we've gotta do like the game show. You remember that game show deal or no deal? You know, it looked good. It was a good deal. It was a great deal. It was a guaranteed deal. It looked like it was gonna change your life, but there could be something better. Right? And so you had to decide deal or no deal. When temptation comes, no matter how good it looks, you and I need to say no deal. We've gotta keep Jesus on the throne of our hearts.”

46s

#WorshipByChoice

“The elders fall down willingly. After all, not even Lucifer was required to worship. He had a choice to worship and that's why when he chose to go against god, you think about that. Even in heaven, everything in heaven is still willful. It's not obligated. God wants us to be there. God wants us to see him as king. God wants to war us to worship him as king because we want to, not because we have to. This lion is after not forced compliance, but willful allegiance. He doesn't want us to surrender because he's a tyrant. He wants us to surrender because we realize he's worthy and we choose to surrender.”

31s

#PraiseInvitesPresence

“God's position is not predicated on anything that we do or don't do. Our praise does not make God king of kings and lord of lords. Our praise does not sit God on the throne in heaven. Our praise doesn't make the earth his footstool, but our praise determines whether God's presence is in the midst of our circumstance. He is enthroned in the praises of Israel.”

35s

#PraiseBeforeTheBattle

“He gathers all the praisers throughout the whole land, and he says, before the army, we've gotta send the praise. Before the battle, we gotta send the praise. Before we fight the enemy, we gotta send the praise. Why? Because when the praises go up, the presence comes down. When the praises go up, a throne. When you send the praises up, you don't fight alone. When you put God's throne in the middle of your situation, you don't fight alone.”

27s

#HeartOverGenre

“See, what you think is that worship is for you. You don't understand is God doesn't like CCM more than he likes gospel, more than he likes country, more than he likes this more. Here's what God looks for in worship. God looks for worship coming from a pure heart that's saying, God be enthroned in my worship. And God don't care what kind of groove it is, God cares what kind of heart it's coming from.”

44s

#JesusComesToYourStorm

“And as soon as Jesus comes out of the boat and by the way, not even the storm could keep Jesus from getting to you. Amen? Jesus is coming. Somebody say Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming. If you stay faithful, I'm telling you he's walking into your situation. Notice what it says. And when he came out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit. By the way, even people who have given themselves over to the devil want Jesus. There's a part of them that's fighting. Everybody that's in bondage really wants to be free. There is a a a struggle going on. There is what I would call a battle of thrones happening in their life.”

79s

#HeReignsAlways

“We've watched David get victory over Goliath after God delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear. Last week, we visited Jairus and we found out that the enemy was not just a lion. It wasn't just a bear. It wasn't just a giant, it was death itself. And we saw that even in those circumstances, when all hope is gone, that there is always a but God in our lives. And the reason for that is because he rules and reigns. Today, we're talking about the greatest of all the lions that there is, the Lord Jesus Christ. He rules and he reigns as king of kings and lord of lords. He rules over kings and kingdoms and presidents and principalities and parliaments and powers. He rules over sickness and disease. He rules over sorrows. He rules over demons and darkness and depression. He rules over everything that the enemy tries to throw into your life. He rules and he reigns always will, always has. He ruled and reign before there was a devil to be defeated. He'll rule and reign even after the devil is defeated. His reign will never stop. Nobody voted him in. Nobody can vote it out. He's the king of kings and lord of lords.”

78s

#PraiseInvitesGod

“Anything that the enemy tries to put on you falls off of you. You remember Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail? Beaten with rods, backs bleeding, feats in stocks, locked in the inner prison. Their midnight moment. And I love this. Almost every preacher that I've ever heard has preached this theologically incorrect. Because what they teach is that God is never early, God is never late, but he's always on time. And they said, late in the midnight hour, God's gonna turn it around. Right? And everybody is focused on everything's everybody's focused on how God shows up at midnight. But that's not what that scripture says. It says at midnight, Saul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God. Why was it that God showed up at midnight? Because that's when they prayed and sang praises to God. And I'm here to tell you, you don't need to wait till midnight to have God show up in your life. God can show up at shut up. God can show up in the middle of the day, and God can show up at midnight. God can show up whatever you send up. Praises God shows up.”

43s

#OiledByTheSpirit

“Naked in the Bible means we're not fighting with carnal weapons. Naked in the Bible means that we're we're stripping ourselves completely before God, and we are getting totally dependent upon him. And you know what they did in the palaestra to make themselves slippery? They put oil all over their body. And the reason why they put oil all over their body is because when the enemy went to grab them, they would slip out. How many of you know when you get into battle, you cannot depend on yourself, but you gotta be immersed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. You gotta have that oil dripping all over you. And one of the ways you get the oil dripping all over you is you set up a throne. You set up God's throne by sending up a praise, and it makes you slippery.”

45s

#ChooseTheRealThing

“The advertising is always intriguing. It looks good until it's not. Don't fall for the imitation. Stick with the real thing. God's ways are also always better. We think it's innocent, but it's really looking for a position in your heart. We think, oh, what's the big deal? I got this. What's the big deal? It won't take over my life. What's the big deal? It's only once. What's the big deal? It's only this thing. And we don't realize that's how the enemy gets to our heart. Because there's a little taste of this and a little taste of this. And before you know it, he keeps dragging us in and dragging us in and dragging us in until that thing becomes more important to us than God. And that brings me to the second that we know need to know about this lion.”

44s

#LionAndLambRevealed

“``This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Not just lion, not just lamb, but the lion is the lamb. He's high enough to rule, but loving enough to sacrifice. He's high enough to be immortal, but loving enough to become human. He's high enough to live in the heavens and have earth as his footstool, but he's loving enough to condescend and be born in a manger. There is no king like him. There was no king before him. There'll be no king after him. He stands alone all by himself. He's matchless and unprecedented and incomprehensible and invisible and irresistible. He's the king of kings and lord of lords. He rules and he reigns.”

44s

#GodsPromisesAreSure

“Too many people, stuff starts happening, and all of a sudden their faith faith starts staggering Because they don't realize with God a promise is not a maybe. I'm preaching to somebody right now. Too many people stuff starts happening, and your faith starts to teeter totter because you don't understand when God says something, God is not suggesting it, God is not hoping for it, God is declaring it, and where the word of a king is, there is power. When God speaks it, it's gotta come to pass.”

40s

#SeeJesusAsKing

“He's the one that we look at, and we think, well, everything he says is a suggestion that, like, you know, God is saying, you know, yeah, you could do this, you can't do this. That somehow, some way God doesn't mean what he says, but we have to see him as a ruling king. And when a sovereign says something, the subjects do what the sovereign has said. We need to change our paradigm and realize he's not just meek and lowly. He's the lion of the tribe of Judah. He's God to be worshiped. He's God for us to bow down before, but he comes from the tribe of Judah.”

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