| The Defeat of Satan “Now is the Judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” – John 12:31 In case you missed it humanity has a spiritual enemy who constantly seeks to steal from us, kill us, and destroy us because we have been made in the likeness of God. This is not simply a battle but an all-out full-scale war that seeks above all things to control what we believe. For what we believe will determine both our destiny and our eternity. Let that sink in for a minute. Heaven is real. Hell is real. Our enemy is real. And this enemy has many names. Here are some of the names with their meanings: – Lucifer (bearer of light) changed to Satan after his rebellion against God, which means accuser or adversary – Devil – slanderer, destroyer (33 times in the bible) – Accuser of the brethren (day & night) – Revelations 12:10 – Belial – worthless, wickedness – 2Corinthians 6:15 – The great dragon/ancient serpent – Revelation 12:9 – The evil one – Matthew 13:38 – The father of lies/murderer – John 8:44 – Ruler of the kingdom of the air – Ephesians 2:2 – Prince of the world – John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11 – The tempter – Matthew 4:3, 1Thessalonians 3:5 The meaning of these names gives us a clear insight as to the character of our enemy. He is committed to his goal. He doesn’t get tired and he doesn’t stop trying. Our adversary is a strong man. He is a worthy opponent and should not be taken lightly. One on one, we are no match for our antagonist. But there is Good News! Jesus Christ in Luke 11:21 tells us that “When a strong man (Satan) armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace.” But most importantly Christ goes on in the next verse to encourage us with this; “But when a stronger than he (Jesus Christ) shall come upon him, and over-come him, He Jesus) takes from him (Satan) all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.” And this is exactly what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. The good news is that no matter how strong our enemy is, Jesus Christ is much stronger. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8). By the power of Jesus Christ, our enemy already stands condemned (John 16:11). And by the power of Jesus Christ our enemy is defeated in every way, each and every day. He has been thrown from his position of authority in heaven. He was defeated in the wilderness when he tempted Jesus. He was completely and utterly defeated by the blood drenched cross of Jesus Christ, which is absolutely shown by the empty tomb and the ripped veil in the temple. The cross of Jesus Christ broke the power that Satan had over mankind. And now to walk in this victory all we have to do is to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and commit to living our life according to His will. Christ’s finished work on the cross means that in Christ Jesus 1) we are alive spiritually for eternity, 2) we are forgiven, and 3) evil is disarmed. We no longer have to fear the devil or death. The enemy can do nothing to change the position of the authentic believer in Christ, for we are marked with a mark, we are sealed with a seal – forever with Christ for all eternity. HALELUJAH!!! Visit our website at www.HOWICP.org for more information on how to reach your full spiritual potential. |
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