Title: Victory of the Cross
Contents
Title: Victory of the Cross
Text: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11).
There are two books in the Bible that the devil hates the most. It is the Book of Revelation, where the fate of the devil was declared and the book of Revelation where the fate of the devil was decided. That is why the devil deceives and deceives us that these two books are just myths and mysteries. The Bible (Genesis 3:1, Revelation 12:9, John 8:44...) speaks of this devil as 'a deceiver and one who deceives the whole world'. The devil tries to steal, kill, and destroy our souls through very plausible lies. It is the purpose of the devil to destroy the whole church and family, and ultimately to separate us from God through cunning words that are not true, neither necessary nor beneficial.
In Genesis 3, there are three types of this devil's scheme.
The first is a lie that sounds like the truth. God said that you may freely eat from any tree, but not from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, the devil changes his words, as if God had prevented him from enjoying everything. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from every tree in the garden?’” (verse 1) There was only one tree from which God allowed him to eat, but he cleverly changed his words to discredit the God who gives generously to him. In fact, we too can be deceived like Eve if we do not have the right knowledge of God's Word. As the book of Hosea says, lack of knowledge can lead you to perish. He is the One who gives us life and makes us enjoy it more abundantly. When we draw close to God's Word and know it rightly, we will enjoy the riches God has given us and live a life of gratitude even in tribulation.
The second causes contempt for God's law. It makes you take the word of God lightly. In response to God's word that if you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die, the devil says, 'You will never die' (verse 4). In order to save us from death because of our sins, God also paid the price for our sins by having His Son Jesus Christ die on the cross, so the devil deceives us that we will not be punished even if we sin, so that we can understand the tendency of sin in us. It encourages you to live with it. ‘God is good, and will he punish you? Because he is a God of love, I will not punish you.” He thinks lightly about God's laws and punishments and makes them bolder in sin. What we must know is that we must pay the price for sin and disobedience.
Third, it distorts the love of God. God loves us even to the point of putting his Son to death and provides for our needs in glory. But the devil speaks of God's rule over us as if it were redemption. “God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (verse 5). . It tells us to eat the fruit of the forbidden fruit and live freely without being subject to God's interference and rule. He tells himself to be like God.
Satan still uses this method.
Then, how can we resist the devil's schemes and win?
1. We must hold on to the cross. Through the sinless Jesus, who was sacrificed once for our sins, we are freed from the condition of sinners and justified. Jesus already said, “It is finished” on the cross. Because of the victorious Lord, Satan's authority was destroyed and the devil could no longer conquer the world. Therefore, we cannot triumph except through the cross.
2. You can win through courageous confession of faith. The devil forces us to remain silent about the grace of the Lord. It speaks as if it were cultured. But we must remember and testify of what the Lord has done for us. If we do not speak, this gospel cannot be heard. When a sinner like me diligently testifies about the grace of being forgiven, we can break through the tricks of the devil and win.
3. With complete devotion, we can overcome the devil. 21st century Christians tend to seek stability, comfort, and certainty. Because these things dominate modern Christians, they cannot follow the path of faith. We must follow the Lord, even if it involves some risk when we obey His word. Abraham obeyed the word of the Lord even in a situation where he did not know where he was going, and even though he knew that Sarah's womb was dead, his faith did not weaken. Also, in today's verse, it is said that the believers of faith who did not spare their lives until death overcome Satan.
Dear saints,
The Lord has said that he keeps in peace those whose hearts are steadfast.
I hope you will win victory as believers of faith who bear the cross and testify of His grace, and who spared their lives even to death.