Remember, We Are at War

But if I with the finger of God, cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. (Luke 11:20, KJV)

The coming of Christ into the world was a clear declaration of war on the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of God has come into the world through his life and continues to be a force here through his people, for he taught us, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

Remember, we are at war and there can be no peace with our spiritual enemy. Satan’s kingdom is under siege and will be defeated ultimately by Christ. The names by which Satan is called in Scripture give us insights into his methods and purposes. He is called:

• The accuser of the brethren, Revelation 12:10, speaking of his pointing out our sinfulness
• The one who deceives the whole world, Revelation 12:9, speaking of his temptations and deceptions
• The prince of the power of the air, Ephesians 2:2, speaking of his kingdom of demons

Jesus destroyed Satan as the accuser of the brethren through is sacrificial death for our sins. Though Satan can make a compelling case for us as guilty sinners who should be eternally condemned — and he would not even have to lie to do so — Christ has fully paid for our sins. Zechariah 3:1–7 is a beautiful picture of God’s grace to the sinner through the vision Zechariah received of Joshua the high priest. Satan is set to accuse Joshua, yet God pronounces him as a stick plucked out of the fire. Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, symbolizing his sinfulness, and God takes them away and instead clothes him in clean clothes saying, “I have caused your iniquity to pass from you” (Zech 3:4). Forgiveness is possible because Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Jesus is currently waging war against the deceptions of the devil through the preaching and teaching of his Word. And through the ministry of the Word and his Spirit he is tearing down Satanic strongholds in people’s lives (2 Cor. 10:4–5). This is the warfare that we are currently called to engage in. We are, in fact, already involved in it for we all experience the deceptions of Satan — remember, he deceives the “whole world” (Rev. 12:9). This our main concern today, that the power of temptation and deception be broken in lives.

We cannot compromise with evil. Though we are to be patient, kind, understanding, tolerant, and endure hardship, we cannot accept evil as anything but evil. Satan is described as a roaring lion, going about seeking whom he might destroy, “whom resist steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8–9). Through our faith and obedience we are overcoming the devil and the world. “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

Jesus will ultimately entirely defeat the demonic kingdom of Satan. He will bind Satan during a Millennial reign (Rev. 20:1–3), which will be entirely peaceful and where the Old Testament prophecies about the kingdom will be fulfilled (Acts 3:21). Then Satan will be released for a brief while, during which he again leads a revolt against God and against God’s people, but he and his devils will be utterly defeated and cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:7–10). Christ will then hand over the kingdom to the Father:

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor. 15:24–26).

Christ has defeated the accusations of Satan on the cross by making payment for our sins. Christ is defeating Christ today by the truth of his Word and the power of his Spirit, as he uncovers the deceptions of Satan and breaks the chains of addictions. Christ will completely defeat the kingdom of Satan at his coming — through binding Satan during the Millennial reign, and through destroying him and his angels in the lake of fire before the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth.

Our calling today is to be aware of the warfare around us, and to trust confidently in the ultimate victory of Christ and in his power in our lives today. Whatever way you feel chained by Satan, be aware that the answer is in Christ. One day Satan will be chained just like he chained others. And today you can experience the freedom of Christ through faith and submission to him.