Monday's Devo - Refugee Set Free

Read Acts 12
About 8 years ago I had been studying my Bible and I was wondering where the people of the Old Testament went when they died since Jesus hadn't died yet and they couldn't go to heaven. I decided to ask God right before I went to sleep one night and when I woke up that morning the Lord said, "cities of refuge". I thought that was a funny thing for the Lord to say till I remembered my question the night before. I knew this was the answer so I studied about cities of refuge. They were the cities that every tribe had to set apart for the person who was accused of murdering someone and had no witness. He would flee to one of these cities and the judge would hear his case and if he was innocent he would be allowed to stay safely in the city until the death of the high priest. God showed me that before Jesus, the devil accused them all of murder and he was the avenger. When they died they could present their life before a judge (God) and if he thought they were innocent he would place them in one of these cities of refuge under the earth. There they stayed till The High Priest, Jesus, died. When he was buried, Jesus and he went down and preached salvation to these cities. Many believed and were taken with him to heaven. In Matt. 27:53-54 it said that when Jesus died, "the graves of many were opened and the bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." So what does that have to do with today's reading? I think today's reading is another glimpse into what happened when Jesus died.
Once again it is Passover. Herod the king is a type of Satan. He is kills James to be a type of Jesus being killed. Then he puts Peter in prison which is a type of Jesus being buried. It even gives us the hint when it says that these were the days of unleavened bread. Unleavened bread was when Jesus was buried. Prayer was made without ceasing for him. I think that was the prayer of heaven for Jesus and for the church and the prayers of those in these spiritual cities of refuge. Then the angel comes to Peter in prison, wakes him up and the chains fall off of him. This would be like the angel coming to the grave where Jesus was laid and waking him up from death and setting him free from death. He passes the soldiers and goes to Mary's house where many were gathered. Sounds like a city of refuge.
Peter stood at the door and knocked. Finally they opened the door and let him in and were astonished. (Didn't Jesus say that He stands at the door and knocks and if anyone hears his voice, he will come in and eat with them?)
Is this how it was underground. Did Jesus have to knock and knock until finally he got in to these cities of refuge and they were shocked. I says that they did receive him and believe what he said. Then it says that Peter went to another place where there were followers. So Jesus went on to the next city of refuge to tell them. Meanwhile the devil (Herod) is not happy when he cannot find Jesus. He punishes the demons responsible for watching over Jesus' death. Apparently Jesus did not win everyone over and some of the people that had died wanted to follow Satan. They set Satan upon his throne and proclaimed him to be their god. Immediately God kills Satan. Meanwhile in the kingdom of God the good news is spreading and multiplying.
If we could just get this......Satan is defeated. He really was killed at the resurrection. He could not hold Jesus in the grave. He can only deceive us into thinking he has power but we are the ones with the power because of Jesus. Lord, help us to walk in resurrection power!