Focus: Satan Exposed

Text: 1Jh.3:8

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

Every time truth is revealed Satan is exposed, and knowing truth is the key to your personal freedom. All you need to exposing error is encountering and embracing truth for yourself.

God hated seeing us in chains and took action to permanently free us.

Jesus came down from heaven for one purpose. He subjected Himself through the process of being born into the world as a human being for a reason. 

In fact it is staggering to the human mind how the Son of God became the Son of man, and it was for the sole purpose of destroying the works of Satan.

The devil's works are vile and evil. Satan's works are dangerous, damaging and destructive. Go through the Scripture and see how terrible Satan's works are. Seven demons once lived inside Mary Magdalene. That is the work of Satan. The mad man of Gadara had a legion of demons living inside him. About 6,000 demons residing in one man is wickedness of the highest order. His madness was such that he lived in dangerous places like the cemetery and secluded areas. A lady came to Jesus Christ, and said, "Have mercy on me… my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" (Mt.15:22). That is the work of the devil. A man also came to Christ, and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water" (Mt.17:15). That is the work of the devil! Jesus Christ asked the people concerning another lady, "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" (Lk.13:16). A daughter of Abraham in bondage to Satan for 18 years! The devil is extremely evil. Luke says, "And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself" (Lk.13:11). She was bent over and greatly in distress. Her strength was diminishing daily. That is the work of Satan! He ruins men's lives.

See how Paul describes the human condition: "And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye WALKED according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now WORKETH in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our CONVERSATION in times past in the lusts of our flesh, FULFILLING the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others" (Eph.2:1-3). That is Satan taking charge of the world's system and controlling human affairs from behind the scenes. 

In Ephesians 6 Paul also describes how evil the devil is. He says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph.6:12). That is the hierarchy of evil, an organized system for the execution of evil agenda. The devil is evil in and out and from head to toe. The Scripture has given us a dossier on the enemy of our soul. 

He can't hide anymore. He's the slanderer, the liar, the sinner, the tyrant, the deceiver, the murderer, the wicked one, and so on and so forth. He is anything and everything evil.

The Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily manifested Himself on planet earth for one reason: to destroy the works of the devil. The work of God involves destroying the works of the devil.

The word 'destroy' is 'luo' in the Greek original. 'Deo' is the opposite word, which means to bind or to tie. So luo means to untie, to loose, to render ineffective or inoperative, to break down, to undo, to make void, to nullify or neutralize. It also means to deliver, to free, or to release. Christ voluntarily appeared in the world to free us from Satan's shackles and to make useless his chains by shattering and thrashing them.

You've been set free from Satan's thralldom. You are no longer to be held hostage by the devil. You have been released from the enemy's stronghold.

Christ has destroyed the works of the devil once and for all. He has thrashed them forever. It is up to you now to surrender yourself to God and take a firm stance against the devil. James says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Jam.4:7). Know the truth and be set free by it! Stop going back to what Christ has delivered you from! Stand in the liberty wherewith Christ has set you free! Grow in your knowledge of Christ and all that He has done for you. Live by faith, not by fear, nor by doubt! You are now a free man! Satan is exposed and your victory is assured!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter