Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Wesley L. Duewel
Sealing His Own Defeat
When Satan inspired evil men and even entered one man, the betrayer (Judas Iscariot,), to crucify the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil believed he had won. His supposed victory was actually his defeat since God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). That delivery’s already been made. The phrase that God has “transferred us to the kingdom” is a past-tense form of the Greek verb “methistēmi,” meaning “to be transferred” or “to be removed from one place to another.” That is a one-way ticket! Jesus said, “concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:11), “now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out” (John 12:31). And he was–forever!
Our Canceled Debt
Though Jesus’ disciples frequently begged Him to not speak of dying on a cross, it was “for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), and now He has “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col. 2:15). The blood of the Lamb now allows us to stand before God with no more condemnation (Rom. 8:1), so the devil has lost his claim on us, with God “canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14). Satan cannot stand that! All he can do is accuse us day and night before the Father, but the Father has heard enough! He’s already dismissed our case in Christ. “The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God” (Rev. 12:10b). With our repentance and faith in Christ, God has said, “Not guilty.”
Prayer–the Mortal Blow
When we pray to God, Satan cannot stop that message from reaching the Father in heaven because of the authority of the name in which it is sent, and that’s Jesus Christ, of course. We would not have been told to pray if it wasn’t critically important. We need to pray with the assurance of a clear conscience, so confess any known sin or any ill feelings toward someone like your spouse. These can hinder our prayers (Psalm 66:18; 1 Pet. 3:7). Satan’s a powerful angel like a huge 16-wheeler on the highway, but it only takes the authority of one person to stop it: a state trooper. In this case, that authority is Jesus and praying in His name for things that are God’s will.
Conclusion
Peter warned us about Satan (1 Pet. 5:8), but never does the Bible warn us that he could defeat God. If His Spirit is in us, he cannot conquer us because “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b). If Satan ever reminds you of your past, remind him of his future (Rev. 20:10).
