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One of the most profound truths in Scripture is the total
defeat of the devil. Actually, his defeat is historic,
complete, and unquestionable. Even the devil knows he is
defeated. The big problem is that most Christians do not
understand this fact. Since Satan is still the “god of this
world,” it appears that he operates as “business as usual.”
The signs of Bible prophecies that are either fulfilled
or clearly being fulfilled leaves no doubt as to Satan’s
demise. The Christian life should not be lived as someone
striving toward victory. We do not live for the victory, but
because of the victory. Our spiritual life is the result of
a victory already won. The Son of God decimated every power
of Satan, his destruction is complete.
We must learn to live our lives in this total victory
while understanding that it is presently true only in the
Spiritual realm. Satan’s defeat is not yet visible in the
natural world of the fallen nature. The unclean system of
the world is not yet cleansed of this dark and evil being.
That’s the coming great judgment of the End Times that we
see in the Book of Revelation.
Let’s review this victory that will soon occur. First,
Satan will be cast out of the Second Heaven. This happens
near the beginning of the Seven Years of Tribulation and
after the Rapture. “And there was
war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed
not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And
the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was
cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with
him” (Revelation 20:7-9). At that point, Satan is
confined to the earth and can never appear before the Father
again to accuse the Saints of God.
Then, at the end of the seven years he will be cast out
of the earth into the “bottomless pit” to be tormented by
the judgments of God. This will be his finality except for a
short period at the end of the one thousand years when he
tempts the natural people born during that time. John wrote
by the exact words Jesus Christ gave him,
“And the devil that deceived them
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the
beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day
and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). This
is his eternal abode and torments.
While we await this final defeat, we must learn to live
in the Spiritual domain, not the physical. We have no
defense against Satan in our flesh. If we live in the flesh,
we will get decimated instead of the devil. Apostle Paul
explained this carefully, “So then
they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of
God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:8-9).
The average Christian today has never learned this
incredible truth and the result is helplessness in both
their walk with Christ and their prayer life. I feel angry
at myself because I have failed to teach this level of
spiritual victory. We should be storming the gates of hell
when we are barely holding the fort. The present church
world is more of a club than an army.
God’s faithful prophets warned us in Scripture to make no
room for the devil. “Neither give
place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27).
“(For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ” (2Corinthians 10:4-5).
When we face Satan in the Biblical provision of a
Spirit-filled life, he is totally defeated. This kind of
warfare is no longer just a privilege, but it is the only
lasting victory for these End Times. Jesus Christ told us of
this victory but our flesh is slow to learn. He stated…
“Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That
if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:18b-19). He even
said, “…. If ye had faith as a grain
of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be
thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea;
and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6).
The person of the Holy Ghost did not come to tickle our
fancy, but to empower His church to perfect victory. We are
a spiritual army or we are defeated pilgrims spending years
in the wilderness. Let’s become His army as we await His
appearance in the sky.
Joseph R. Chambers
jrc@pawcreek.org
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