satan's Master (Part 2)
THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp
Friday November 14, 2008
I've heard people say that satan wasn't cast down from Heaven yet. I'm going to use this Daily Word to silence that argument.
When the law was cancelled, the devil no longer had any ammunition against mankind-- he was DISARMED, like Colossians 2:15 says! From that point on, there was no longer any reason why he should be allowed before God's throne, since, being the "accuser of our brothers", all he ever did was accuse people before God!!
First of all, Jesus Himself declared that satan was about to lose his place in heaven when He was about to go to the cross:
John 12:31 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
We know that the "prince of this world" Jesus was referring to was satan:
John 14:30 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me...
Jesus said that before Judas Iscariot came for him. That means that Jesus Himself foretold that satan was about to be "driven out"!! So where was satan driven out FROM??? And where was he driven TO??? Revelation 12:7-10 tells us.
Revelation 12:7-10 (NIV)
7. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (satan), and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8. But he was not strong enough, and they LOST THEIR PLACE IN HEAVEN.
9. The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. HE WAS HURLED TO THE EARTH, and his angels with him. 10. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down."
So satan and his angels lost their place in Heaven, and were hurled TO THE EARTH!!!
Now lets see how verse 10 confirms that this happened when Jesus arose from the dead. The voice from Heaven says "NOW have come (1) the salvation and (2) the power and (3) the kingdom of our God, and (4) the authority of His Christ.
So all we need to know is WHEN these four things happened, and that will definitely be when satan was cast out of Heaven and hurled to the earth, right???
1. First of all, salvation.
The Bible tells us that salvation came when God raised Jesus from the dead:
Romans 10:9 (NIV)
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, you will be saved.
This verse tells us that salvation has two requirements. You must confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and you must believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead!!
How could anyone believe that God raised Jesus from the dead BEFORE it happened??? That tells us that salvation came when God raised Jesus from the dead.
2. God's power
God's Power was given to all believers when Jesus arose from the dead.
Ephesians 1:18-20 (NIV)
18. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19. and HIS incomparably great POWER FOR US WHO BELIEVE. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20. which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms
Here Paul was writing to Christians, telling them that God's power was for THEM! Since people could only begin to BECOME Christians when God raised Jesus from the dead, that means that the POWER also came when God raised Jesus from the dead!!
3. The Kingdom of our God
The Kingdom Of our God came when God raised Jesus from the dead.
Colossians 1:13 (NIV)
For he HAS rescued us from the dominion of darkness and BROUGHT us into the kingdom of the Son he loves
Believers have ALREADY been "brought into the kingdom"!! Up until God raised Jesus from the dead, both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself preached the kingdom as something that was yet to come:
Matthew 3:1,2 (NIV)
1. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2. and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven IS NEAR."
Matthew 4:17 (NIV)
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Jesus plainly told us that the Kingdom of God would be "within us":
Luke 17:20,21 (NIV)
20. Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21. nor will people say, `Here it is,' or `There it is,' because the kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU."
As we saw in Colossians 1:13, every born again Christian is brought into the Kingdom of God when they get saved!!
4. The Authority of Christ
The Authority of Christ came when God raised Jesus from the dead. (Ephesians 1:18-23)
Ephesians 1:18-23 (NIV)
18. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19. and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20. which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21. FAR ABOVE all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23. which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
And EVERY CHRISTIAN was seated WITH CHRIST, above satan and his evil authorities:
Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)
And God raised US up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
So, as you can see, the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of God, and the Authority Of Christ ALL CAME when God raised Jesus from the dead!!! Therefore, the Revelation 12 account of satan being cast out of Heaven definitely happened when God raised Jesus from the dead!!!
PRAYER
Thank You Father for seating me with Christ in the Heavenly realms. Thank you for your delivering me from satan's power. Help me to always remember that I am in a position of authority over satan, because I am now identified with Jesus Christ in the Heavenly realm.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the Daily Word Archives at:
http://www.jimseekamp.com
To subscribe to the Daily Word, send an email with the subject "SUBSCRIBE" to mailto:dailyword@jimseekamp.com
If you wish to unsubscribe, please send an email with the subject "UNSUBSCRIBE" to mailto:dailyword@jimseekamp.com
To have Jim Seekamp speak at your church or group meeting, email him at: jimseekamp@jimseekamp.com