FOR THIS PURPOSE: SATAN DEFEATED
by Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8).
In my opinion this is one of the greatest statements ever uttered by mortal man. It is loaded with truth and clearly defines the basic doctrines of God! Not only does it state in broad strokes the reason God sent His Son to the earth, but it allows us to see His plans and purposes for His Church!
ADAM’S SIN OF HIGH TREASON!
In the Courts of Heaven, Adam’s Sin of High Treason against the Creator was so grievous that Eternal Life on earth was cancelled. The process of Death had already begun within Adam and Eve and that process would continue among their posterity! To restore fellowship between man and His Creator, the sin debt of Adam had to be paid!
TO RESTORE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD!
St. Paul wrote: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteousness, and godly, in this present world:
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who Gave Himself for us, that He might Redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar (purchased) people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)
The Bible says: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps …Who His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the tree (cross), that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: By Whose STRIPES ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
“When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His Word and Healed all that were Sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” (Matt. 8: 16,17, Is. 53: 4,5)
HOLY SPIRIT INTERCEDES FOR US!
The Bible says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me Free from the law of sin and death.
“But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom. 8:1,11)
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (takes a hold of against our infirmities): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Rom. 8: 26). When we pray for guidance in other tongues, the Holy Spirit prays through us to the Father! Praise be unto God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord!
“He that spared not His Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Rom.8:32)
Nothing can separate us from the mercy, grace, and love of our Heavenly Father! The Word of God states that since God did not spare His Son but sent Him to the Cross to purchase our salvation, and because JESUS IS ALIVE today, sitting on His Father’s Right hand, we are welcome to everything He purchased for us!
THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL!
JESUS came against these works of the Devil: Sin, Fear, Poverty, Sickness and Disease, Demons!
SIN: “But if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7): “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph. 1:7)
The only antidote for sin is the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us all on the Cross on Golgotha: “How much more shall the BLOOD of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Heb.9: 14)
FEAR: “For God hath not given you the spirit of Fear; but of Power and Love and of a Sound Mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7). God has given us Power over the devil, the Love of God, and a Sound Mind. Hallelujah!
“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come unto thy dwelling.” (Ps.91: 10); “Fear thou not for I am with thee: be not dismayed for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” (Is. 41:10)
POVERTY: “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:19); “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them for with the same hat are the called according to His purpose,” (Rom.8:28)
“Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38): “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not Want.” (Ps. 23:1)
SICKNESS & DISEASE: “Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:14,15)
“Surely, He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are Healed.” (Is, 53:4,5); Who His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the Tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: BY WHOSE STRIPES YE WERE HEALED.” (1 Peter 2:24)
DEMONS & EVIL SPIRITS: “And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-20).
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee (in
terror) from you.” (James 4:7)
In the Garden of Eden, God Almighty delivered His long-range prophetical plan for the salvation of mankind and the deliverance of the human family! Adam and Eve had just committed the world's first sinful act. They had disobeyed God and rebelled against His commands. Sin had impacted God's special creation - man - whom He had made in His own image and likeness.
Sin, however, was in the world because Satan - the father of sin and death - had been cast out of Heaven and is the 'Prince of the power of the air', as well as the 'god of this world'. (Eph. 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:4).
He had caused previous disruption (Gen. 1:2) and chaos. (Ez. 28:13-19; Is. 14:12-17). In his rebellion and hatred for God, Satan had cunningly planned his strategy by tempting Eve. The great transgression had been made. (Job 1:8-22, 2:1-8; Gen. 3:1-6)
Now for the moment of truth. How would Adam and Eve feel? Would they be wise as God, as Satan had promised? Was the rebellion worth it? A thousand times NO! Their eyes were opened!
SATAN GREATEST LIAR!
Where was Satan? Where was the wise tempter? Gone to gloat over his victory. Not far away, probably hiding behind a tree to see the inevitable outcome; the separation, dis-fellowshipping of God and His special creation, man! Evil satisfaction filled his heart as he observed Adam and Eve's plight, their confusion, perplexity, fear, and terror! They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. God said, "Adam where art thou?"
As God called Adam that day, He is still calling us today. "John, where are you. Mary, where are you?” Adam answered, "We are hiding, we are naked, we are afraid"! God questioned, "Who told you that you were naked? You were clothed with My glory. Have you eaten of the fruit that I forbad you"?
Adam gave a typical answer from a typical sinner! He said, "The woman you gave me, she gave me of the fruit.” It is Eve's fault, she gave me the forbidden fruit and it's really Your fault, Lord, because You gave me the woman.”
EVERYONE LIKES TO PASS THE BUCK!
It seems normal for people to justify themselves, pass the buck, or blame someone else rather than take it on the chin, saying, "I made a mistake, I am wrong, please forgive me"! It's like the preacher who enjoyed portraying women in a negative way.
One Sunday morning as he was preaching on 'The Fall of Man', he vigorously attacked Eve. If Eve - the weaker vessel - hadn't fallen, the world wouldn't be in the mess it's now in. He nailed Jezebel and Delilah. "Women are the ruination of many good men" he shouted.
At the close of the service, the minister stood at the door shaking hands. Some complimented him on a wonderful sermon, others were glad to get out the door. A tall lady shook his hand, and she wasn't smiling. She gripped his hand, looked him square in the eye and asked, "Pastor, what is the telephone number of the Garden of Eden"?
He said, "I don't know what you are talking about"! She spoke again, "Pastor, do you know the telephone number of the Garden of Eden"? He answered, "Woman, I do not and by the way you are hurting me"! She said, "Well, I know the telephone number of the Garden of Eden. It's Adam 8-1-2", and she let go of his hand and left. Adam ate one too! Eve wasn't the only one to blame. Adam also disobeyed God!
THE DEVIL IS TO BLAME!
God didn't argue with Adam. He turned to Eve and said, "Woman, what is this that thou hast done?" Eve put the blame where it belonged. "The serpent beguiled me and I did eat”! Satan is the culprit. The devil is to blame for all the sin, fear, heartbreak, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction and juvenile delinquency.
He is the architect of all that is evil, wicked, and destructive. Riots, anarchy, thievery, murder, sickness, disease, and war are the outcroppings and results of his plans, goals, purposes, and seduction!
Satan is to blame! Shout it loud and clear, the devil is the troublemaker! Jesus called him a liar, deceiver, murderer, and thief. (John 8:44; 10:10) Our Lord said, "The thief cometh not for to steal, kill and destroy. I am come that they might have life and more abundantly. (John 10:10) Yes, Satan is to blame! God said, "THE SEED OF THE WOMAN SHALL BRUISE THE SERPENT'S HEAD.”
Almighty God declared: "Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou among all the beasts of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go all the days of thy life..." (Gen. 3:14,15). It is noteworthy that some scientists believe that at one time serpents and snakes walked upright and didn't crawl on their bellies as today.
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed (the wicked) and her seed (the righteous). It (Jesus, the seed of the woman) shall bruise (crush) thy head..."
On Golgotha's Hill, Jesus defeated the devil! When He paid the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world, and rose again from the dead, He had delivered the death blow to Satan! When Jesus cried, "It is finished", He had defeated Satan and since that very hour the blood of Jesus Christ washes away all the sins of the repentant sinner, and His stripes bring healing to the believing sick person.
The Holy Bible says, "He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed". (Isaiah 53:5)
WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) Hallelujah!
The Bible says: "Neither is there salvation through any other, for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby you may be saved, but by the Name of Jesus"! (Acts 4:12) “There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus". (1 Tim. 2:5).
Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly". (John 10:10) And St. John stated: "For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil"! (1 John 3:8)
The Scripture says, "When even was come they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses". (Matt. 8:16-17)
WHAT DID ISAIAH PROPHESY?
Hear it and hear it well: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him (Jesus) and by His stripes we are healed"! (Isa. 53:5).
The Bible says, "Who His own self (Jesus) bare our sins in His own body on the tree (cross) that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by Whose stripes ye were (at the cross) healed"! (1 Peter 2:24). “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him". (John 3:36)
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY!
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life and no man cometh unto the Father but by Me". (John 14:6) Our blessed Saviour said, "I am the door, by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved..." (John 10:9) Again He said, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest". (Matt. 11:28). Jesus Christ is the only hope, life, and salvation of this world. Amen.
