Day 5: Saved From Satan II

In 1 John 3:8, we are told that Jesus the Son of God was manifested so that He might destroy the works of the devil. satan knew this about him and from the time of His birth we see a dragnet spread to kill him. Elite assassin soldiers from Herod’s palace were tasked with finding and killing the baby. Several innocent lives were killed during that time in Bethlehem and its surroundings.

30 years later right after His baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness “to be tempted by the devil.” There during a forty-day fast Jesus is confronted in person by satan himself. He returned victorious from the wilderness and began His ministry in earnest. The enemy continued to attempt harassment using the religious rulers of the day. It didn’t matter where Jesus turned the enemy continued showing up in those who opposed Him.

The final showdown was when Judas was instigated by the devil to betray Him.

“As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.”

John 13:27 NKJV

The crucifixion of Christ, His burial, and resurrection were all part of the plan to give you and me absolute victory over the power of satan. This pattern is illustrated further in the life of one Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus. The devil did not know what the outcome of crucifying Jesus would be.

“But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.”

1 Corinthians 2:8 NLT

Saul a former persecutor of Christians experienced a crisis instantaneous salvation on the way to Damascus. Jesus met him and radically called him into the ministry. Saul who is later called Paul in sharing about the mandate from heaven pivots off what Jesus Christ accomplished. Paul speaks of His experience in Acts 26:

“And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. ¹⁷ I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’“

Paul erroneously thought in his zeal that he was doing God’s work by persecuting and jailing Christians. We see in Verse 18 above he says, “to open their eyes in order to turn them…from the power of satan to God…” There must be a turning away from one to the other.

God has not saved us from the power of satan just for saving sake. If all He really wanted was for you to go to heaven then there would not have been any need to remain here. But we are here on earth given some time to spread the grace that we have also received. The enemy is no match for God’s grace at work. Like Paul, we have turned from darkness to light, from the power of satan to God and we will take territory for the Kingdom in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Thanksgiving and Prayer

1. Give thanks to the Lord for the understanding that we have of spiritual things. 1 corinthians 2:10
2. Praise Him for the victory that we have in Jesus Christ over evil powers. Colossians 2:15
3. Pray for anyone that you carry a burden for held by the power of satan to be set free. Romans 10:1