Part 2: Jesus Died to Crush Our Enemies
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Slavery to our Enemy
Scripture attributes many names to Satan including the Dragon, Serpent, Enemy, Devil, Tempter, Murderer, Father of Lies, Adversary, Accuser, Destroyer, and the Evil One. His knowledge, presence, and power are limited because he is an angelic being created by God for the purpose of glorifying and serving God (Ezekiel 28:14). Motivated by pride, Satan declared war on God and was kicked out of heaven along with a third of the angels who joined his rebellion and became demons (Isaiah 14:11-23; Ezekiel 28:1-19; Revelation 12:3-4, 7-9).
Beginning with our first parents, Adam and Eve, Satan continued his war on God. Fortunately, he need not defeat us if we are aware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Some of Satan’s common tactics include:
- sexual sin (1 Corinthians 7:5)
- sex and marriage between Christians and non-Christians (2 Cor. 6:15)
- false religion, false teaching, false Jesus (1 Cor. 10:14-22; 2 Cor. 11:1-4; 1 Tim. 4:1-2)
- bitterness (Eph. 4:17-32)
- foolishness and drunkenness (Ephesians 5:8-21)
- idle, gossiping busybodies (1 Timothy 5:11-15)
- lying (John 8:44)
Some of his more extreme schemes include:
- torment (Acts 5:16)
- physical injury (Acts 8:4-8)
- false miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)
- accusation (Revelation 12:10)
- murder, including suicide (John 8:44)
Freedom to our Jesus
Tragically, by sinning everyone who has ever lived has chosen to align with Satan in his war against God. Additionally, our sin is the result of having something or someone other than God as our highest value and worth. These seemingly good things (from relationships to success) invariably enslave us and become demonic false gods that we worship by putting our life toward them instead of God. The only exception is Jesus Christ who resisted every temptation (Luke 4:1-13) and remained continually sinless (Hebrews 4:15). Graciously, Jesus alone can and will defeat Satan, liberate us from slavery to the worship of false gods, and usher us into a freedom that continues forever with Him. This was made possible by Jesus dying in our place for our sins to defeat our Enemy and liberate us into new life.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves
Colossians 2:13-15 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
