Satan Has Been Defeated — Zac Poonen

Christ’s Finished Work and the Debt of Sin

Today we want to look at a work that Christ accomplished on the cross when he died. Which is not known. To most Christians when Christ died on the cross a number of things were accomplished. When he died He he used these words towards the end of his six hours on the cross in John 19 In verse 30.

He said it is finished. What was finished a number of things were finished. First of all the work of salvation was finished. The payment for the price. For the sins of man for the payment for the guilt of man.

The debt that man owed to God to the law of God was paid. The debt the certificate of debt was Cancelled and torn out. That's the first most important thing. It says in Colossians in chapter 2 and verse 14 that Jesus Christ cancelled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us.

Every sin that we commit in thought word deed attitude motive is a debt. We owe to God to the law of God and We are guilty. But Christ died paid the debt. He took the punishment. That's another way of looking at his death on the cross in relation to sin the punishment that we need to Face for our sin from a holy God who cannot let us go just because he loves us.

You know a judge Cannot let his son go in the court just because he loves him. Some people say why doesn't God let us go just because I Mean, why doesn't he let us go when we repent? Well, that would destroy the foundations of justice in the universe.

If a judge let his son go saying I love you. It's okay son, even though you're committed a crime I let you go. He would destroy the foundations of justice in that country. God can't do that but a judge can Punishes his son with a fine and then pay the punishment himself as a father.

Christ Bears the Punishment for Sin

That's what God did. He passed a verdict man is guilty of death of being separated. Death means separation from God forever and then he came in the form of man and Took that punishment himself. Jesus Christ died and when he hung on the cross for three hours He was separated from the father he was fellowship with the father was broken so that Christ cried out my God my God.

Why have you forsaken me? He never called God his father God at any time. He always called him father but now he was facing him as the judge of the universe as he took your sin and mine upon him paid the punishment and Was forsaken for three hours and because Christ is an eternal being in three hours he could face The concentrated punishment of all humanity in hell for eternity in that short period.

It was a concentrated time of punishment. Where that's why the heavens became dark. The Sun would not give its light and the earth shook because The creator of the universe was taking the punishment for man's sin.

That's the first thing That Christ accomplished on the cross. It is finished. The punishment for sin is taken. Then he could say father again. He had the relationship with him as a father and he could say father into thy hands.

I Commend my spirit commit my spirit and he went straight up to paradise. But there was another thing that was accomplished on the cross as well at the same time. And that's what we read in the next verse in Colossians 2 and verse 15 that he disarmed the rulers and principalities who had Got possession of man.

Christ’s Victory over Satan’s Authority

You see the devil had made man his slave in the Garden of Eden. What happened was Adam and Eve bowed down to the devil that's what happened in the Garden of Eden. What he was what the devil told he was will you bow down to me instead of bowing down to God.

God has told you Not to eat of the tree. I'm telling you to eat of the tree. Who are you going to bow down to? Who are you going to make your king? Eve said I'll make you my king. I'll bow down to you and do what you say.

And Adam did the same thing and from that time the human race accepted the devil as their king as their ruler and See the mess he created in the human race in all these thousands of years and When Jesus comes he's coming to claim back that position of authority and kingship that God created man to have in relation to God himself and so he had to destroy the authority that this other false ruler the devil had over man and So when Jesus died on the cross he also defeated Satan's power on the cross the Bible says He took away his armor.

It says in this verse. All the weapons that Satan had to harm man were taken away. It's finished. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 says Jesus took part of death So that he might make the devil powerless. The devil is alive.

The devil was not destroyed. He's still not destroyed, but his armor was taken away. He was made powerless. He had the power of death, but no longer. Hebrews 2 14 says that that power of death which the devil had up until that moment Jesus died and Broke that power so that the devil has no more power Over Any man who chooses to accept Christ?

If you don't accept Christ as king over your life, then of course the devil remains as king in your life and Will have power over you and your family and your business and everything else. I'm not saying he'll ruin your business.

He may prosper your business so that you don't have time for God. His aim is not to make you poor. His aim is to keep you away from God one way or the other. And if he can keep you away from God by prospering your business, he'll prosper your business.

If he can keep you away from God By giving you plenty of good health. He'll keep you away. He'll give allow you to have good health. Never put any sickness on you. Because sicknesses tend to drive people close to God.

Poverty tends to drive people close to God. So don't think the devil is going to come and make you poor or sick. Because he's afraid you may turn to God. He wants to rule your life and he wants to make sure that you'll spend eternity with him in hell in the lake of fire and So his aim is not To prevent you from having a comfortable life.

His aim is to prevent you from coming close to the Lord to God and If you don't choose Christ as king over your life, the devil will remain as king. So what did Christ accomplish on the cross. First of all, he took the punishment for our sin and Secondly, he destroyed the devil's power over us.

He said it is finished. The devil has no more power over anyone who chooses Christ as his Lord, it's very important for us to know this in The Old Testament you never read of anybody confronting Satan.

Jesus’ Confrontation with Satan and the Kingdom of God

Right from the first righteous man Abel all the way to John the Baptist. Nobody confronted Satan. All the enemies they confronted were human enemies the Philistines the Amorites the Midianites, etc. But the moment Jesus came you find that he is in constant confrontation with Satan.

There were demon-possessed people in the synagogues. Who got disturbed who sat there comfortably for so many years when the Pharisees were preaching. As soon as Jesus came and preached in the synagogue those demon-possessed people suddenly got disturbed because someone had come To disturb their kingdom and they knew that the Pharisees were not there to disturb their kingdom.

So they didn't disturb the services and the Pharisees were around but as soon as Jesus came they would start creating a problem in the service in the synagogue and. And every now and then he'd come across a demon-possessed person and he was in direct confrontation with Satan and he cast out demons and Jesus says in Matthew and chapter 12 He says if I cast out demons Matthew 12 verse 28 by the Spirit of God.

Again we need to recognize Jesus exercised his ministry as a man. He overcame temptation as a man. He exercised his ministry as a man. He cast out demons not with his inherent power as God, but as a man he says here in Matthew 12 28 by the Holy Spirit.

With the power of the Holy Spirit he had as a man. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit the power of the Holy Spirit. He cast out demons and That proved he said that the kingdom of God has come to the earth until then.

The kingdom of God had not come to the earth. It was an earthly kingdom that the Israelites had in the land of Canaan. They could not defeat the devil. They could only defeat the Canaanites and the Philistines.

But when Jesus came he brought the kingdom of God down to those who wanted it and that brought a direct conflict with the kingdom of the devil and Demons were cast out by the power of the Holy Spirit and now Jesus has ascended up into heaven.

Christ’s Continuing Work through the Church

But he has got another body here on earth he had a physical body in the days when he was walking in Galilee. Now he has a spiritual body which is the church the body of people who trust in him and who have made him Lord of their lives and Through this spiritual body Christ wants to do exactly the same thing that he did through his physical body.

You know, that is the ministry of the church. We read in Acts of the Apostles in chapter 1 and verse 1. When you know Luke is writing the Acts of the Apostles and He refers back to the gospel that he wrote the gospel of Luke and He describes it as the first account of Theophilus.

To him he's writing this of all that Jesus began to do and to teach. That's his description of the gospel of Luke all that Jesus began to do and to teach. So what does he mean then? What is this new thing?

He is writing? Obviously all that Jesus continued to do and to teach so in his physical body He began to do and to teach and now with a spiritual body that is formed on the day of Pentecost. He continued to do and teach.

So we can say this book called the Acts of the Apostles is the actually the acts of Jesus Christ Through his spiritual body. Whereas the gospel of Luke is the acts of Jesus Christ in his physical body.

The gospel of Luke is what Jesus began to do and teach. The Acts of the Apostles is what Jesus continued to do and teach. So What does the Lord want to do through his church in relation to demons. Where demons oppress people and where they come across.

The people of the church those demons are to be cast out wherever the kingdom of God is coming and demons come to Confront that those demons cannot stand because Satan has been defeated on the cross. Now Satan doesn't want you to know that he's been defeated on the cross.

He wants you to Think that he still has power over you he keeps you ignorant so that he can keep you in bondage and That's why it's important for us to know the scriptures that teach us that Satan was defeated on the cross and today like it says in James chapter 4 and verse 7 if you submit to God and Then resist the devil He will flee from you.

Submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you. In other words if my whole life is submitted to the Lord Jesus Christ under his headship and I stand against a demon or the devil in the name of Jesus Christ He will flee.

If I believe that Christ defeated him on the cross. If my conscience is clear. You see if I have allowed sin in my life. If I allow conscious sin in any area of my life. If there is some sin that is unsettled in my life.

We can say the devil has got a foothold in my life then. Then I can't resist him because he's got a foothold in me. He's put his foot through the door. You have no authority over the devil if your sins are not confessed and set right.

Because then the devil's got a foothold it right in your heart and you can't resist him. No matter how much you resist him and say in the name of Jesus. He will still stay there but if you your conscience is clear you've settled everything with God and man the blood of Christ has cleansed you from all sin and You have asked forgiveness from all those whom you have hurt on earth.

You have returned things that you've taken wrongfully from people your conscience is absolutely clear. Then and Also, you're submitting to God your authority. You've totally yielded everything to him.

Then when you resist the devil in Jesus name, he has to flee. So it's very important for us to know That Satan was defeated on the cross and if you believe that and your conscience is clear I want to say to you the youngest believer here who listens to me.

You have authority over Satan in the name of Jesus Christ. Now I'll tell you something else. The devil does not like to hear you telling him That he was defeated on the cross, you know in Revelation chapter 12 We read about Satan coming down to earth and a certain people overcoming him.

Overcoming Satan through Christ’s Blood and Testimony

How do they overcome him? It says in Revelation 12 and verse 11 they Overcame him first of all by the blood of the Lamb by the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. We overcome Satan's accusations.

You can't overcome the accusations that Satan puts into your mind concerning your past failure and sin. Except you believe that when Christ died and shed his blood it atoned for all The sins you ever committed it's gone.

Unless you believe that you won't be able to overcome the accusations of Satan if you just tell him well I'm not gonna do that again. That doesn't help. What about what you did in the past? The blood of Christ has cleansed you blotted it out.

You are declared righteous before God if you believe that. You have boldness before Satan. But the other thing it says there in Revelation 12 verse 11 is the word of their testimony. Now there is a place for us to give our testimony in the church before people that is to be a witness for Christ.

Jesus said we must be witnesses for him and to the uttermost parts of the earth but here in The context here. He's speaking about the word of our testimony to Satan. You have to tell Satan with your mouth because he can hear you.

The devil can't hear your thoughts. God can hear your thoughts. Even the angels can't hear your thoughts. Your fellow human beings can't hear your thoughts and the devil can't hear your thoughts. The demons can't hear your thoughts.

When you pray in your thoughts the devil can't hear you. If you say something to the devil in your thoughts, he can't hear you because God has not given him power. He can put my thoughts into your mind just like a human being can put thoughts into your mind by saying something to you.

But he cannot hear your thoughts. It's very clear in 1 Corinthians 2 that who knows what a man is thinking in his thoughts only the spirit within him knows. God knows of course, he knows all things because he looks at a man's heart so I need to speak through to the devil with my mouth if he is to hear what I'm gonna say and It's important for us to speak the word of our testimony to Satan saying you were defeated on the cross of Calvary and I always encourage every person whom I lead to Christ when I asked them to confess their sins and to receive Christ as their Savior and Lord, I always urge them also to speak to the devil and Tell him straight to his face that he was defeated on the cross.

I remember one incident where I was sharing with a Lady who had come to our home my wife and I were sitting and talking to her and telling her to accept Christ as her Savior and Then I told her say to the devil You were defeated on the cross and all of a sudden she turned around to me with Changed her face expression on her face changed and her voice changed she turned around to me and said I Was not defeated on the cross.

She was demon-possessed. I never knew that. Well When you confront a demon, then you speak to the demon. So I spoke to the demon inside that woman and said you were defeated on the cross. Satan. You're demon you were defeated on the cross get out of her in Jesus name and of course Demons have got to respond to the name of Jesus.

If you believe and you speak in faith, they go and she what that demon went out immediately. Then I told this lady now tell the devil you were defeated on the cross. By Jesus Christ, she said it and she was free.

But that day I learned something and that was That the devil does not like to hear That he was defeated on the cross. Do you like to hear stories of? Games in which you were defeated. No, you like to hear the stories of cricket matches that you won.

Not cricket matches and football matches where you were defeated. Well, the devil doesn't like to hear that either. But it's important that we tell him that that strengthens our own life and It's important that we teach all of God's children this wonderful truth.

Living Free as Those Who Belong to Christ

That when Jesus said on the cross it is finished. The devil's kingdom was finished for those who accept it. It's not for every Tom, Dick and Harry. If you don't submit to God then of course If you don't make God your king, you don't make Jesus your king then the devil is your king.

But if you decided to make Jesus your king of your life Lord of your life, then the devil is no longer king of your life. He can be the Lord of all those other people but not you. You need to know your position in Christ that you can be completely free.

Freedom from Fear through Christ’s Victory

Here it speaks in Hebrews chapter 12 about Fear that the devil seeks to bring upon people the fear of death and that's one of the greatest fears that the devil seeks to bring upon people the fear of death and Every other fear that we have in our life is We can say an inferior fear to the fear of death.

The fear of death is the most powerful fear that people have. All the other fears you have the fears of the future the fears of poverty the fear of sickness the fear of everything else comes beneath that and The devil is always seeking To bring fear into your heart so that he can control your life.

If you allow fear to come into your heart concerning anything. You can be pretty sure that the devil get a little hole in your life. That's why it's a it's very important that we never allow fear to come into our heart.

Because fear is the opposite of faith. When I have faith in God when I believe that Almighty God is my father. And I believe that Jesus Christ has defeated Satan on the cross and is surrounding me and protecting me.

It is impossible for me to have fear of Anything it's impossible for me to have anxiety Tension doubt concerning anything the Lord takes care of everything but if I Allow fear to come into my heart and the devil gets a foothold there.

The Bible says here in Hebrews 2 and verse 15 Jesus came to deliver us From fear because fear brings slavery. Anyone who's afraid brings a slavery. What can the devil do to you? If he was defeated on the cross if his armor was taken away, I mean the devil is the greatest terrorist around.

People are afraid of terrorists only because of their weapons, but if their weapons are taken away, what can the terrorists do? He's helpless. So this is the position we need to see the devil in defeated on the cross.

Christ Exalted with All Things under His Feet

When Jesus died and Jesus rose up triumphant over death hell the grave Satan sin everything and he ascended up to heaven and the Bible says Everything is under his feet it's what it says in Ephesians chapter 1 God has put everything under the feet of Jesus Christ and He's given Christ as head to us who are his body and if we are the body of Christ and The devil and all demons are under the feet of Christ then you can be pretty sure he's under our feet because we are the body and That's why it says in Romans 16 and verse 20.

The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. Shortly, you see he's going to be crushed. He's already been defeated on the cross 2 ,000 years ago and Now he's going to be crushed all his power. Going to be taken away from you from all his power over you.

He will not even be able to threaten you frighten you anything. It's all going to be it's all going to be gone. He's going to be crushed his place. The devil's place is under our feet. That is the place the devil's ordained that God is ordained for the devil and I must keep him there He's not supposed to sit on my head or do anything like that to me take that position in Christ and You will never live in fear anymore.

God bless you.