Victory that overcomes Satan

Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. Genesis 3:13-15

God already foretold since the beginning that there will be an ongoing war between the serpent’s brood and the seed of the woman. Yet, God will be the ultimate winner in the end. Since then, the Bible recorded this war where Satan, true to his nature, orchestrated one attack after the other. After Adam and Eve fell, their son, Cain who was described as the son of the devil (1 John 3:10-12) killed the righteous one, Abel (see Genesis 4). Then God provided another seed, Seth (Genesis 4:25-26) where Noah came from. History told that the world during Noah’s time was full of corruption that continued on until God’s judgment arrived through the flood (Genesis 6:1-7). The war against Satan continued after the Flood that once again judgment had fallen at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). In the next 2000 years, Satan will not relent in his tenacity to create more conflict and rebellion. This was evident even with Abraham and his descendants even when they later on conquered the Promised Land. Their wickedness and disobedience became visible that the Israelites were taken captives by the surrounding pagan nations (2 Kings 17, 24). The conflict continued to the New Testament. Satan used Judas to put Christ through a trial that eventually led to His death on the cross. “Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them” (Luke 22:3-4). For a while it seemed that Satan will be the one who will have the final say. Yet, the death of Christ on the cross did not end on His death but a triumphant resurrection. Satan was defeated when Jesus rose from the dead. It was through Christ’s death and resurrection that brought Satan’s defeat. “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Christ’s death on the cross provided the deathblow to Satan so he would not be able to dominate the lives of those that trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior. “But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice” (Hebrews 9:26). The life of believers should no longer manifest sin’s dominion over their lives for Christ that is in their lives, as was told in the beginning, will defeat Satan. When you continue to live your life detached from Christ, you will be overcome by sin. But when you realize that through Christ you can overcome, you will be victorious. “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Blessings.