If Satan and his forces are tormenting you today, I pray this post reminds you–especially as we look toward the season to remember Jesus’ death and His resurrection–that you’re already on the winning side if you’re a follower of Jesus.. I’m praying for all my readers today!
—————
“The victory of God at the cross is totally beyond compare. Not only was Satan so out-generalled that he was complicit in his own defeat – through his inspiration, for example, of Judas’ act of betrayal; but also, in the greatest of all paradoxes, he was overcome by the very death of the enemy whom he thought to destroy. It was through the death of Jesus that God saved sinners and defeated his enemies.”
Keith Ferdinando, The Message of Spiritual Warfare (Bible Speaks Today Themes). IVP. Kindle Edition (p. 108).
—————
“Nowhere else in the New Testament is Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness given fuller expression than in Colossians 2:15: ‘And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.’ The death and resurrection of Christ marks the beginning of their demise. Christ won a once-and-for-all victory over the powers with eternal repercussions.”
Clinton E. Arnold, Powers of Darkness: Principalities & Powers in Paul’s Letters (Kindle Locations 1190-1192). Kindle Edition.
—————
“While the cross looked like the demise of Jesus to human eyes, it was a decisive defeat of evil supernatural powers. Their power has been rendered ineffective against Christ and those in union with him who appropriate God’s power residing in them (Eph 1:19; 3:16, 20).”
William F. Cook III, Chuck Lawless, Spiritual Warfare in the Storyline of Scripture (Kindle Locations 2566-2567). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
—————
“Jesus’ ultimate overthrow of Satan, however, took place at the cross. Certainly, the work of Jesus on the cross is multifaceted. There are so many dimensions to His redemptive work that we cannot narrow it to one truth. However, one aspect that we cannot overlook is that at the cross, Jesus was stripping Satan of his power and performing the ultimate rescue operation.”
Brian Borgman, Rob Ventura, Spiritual Warfare: A Biblical and Balanced Perspective. Reformation Heritage Books. Kindle Edition.
—————