“Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
1 John 3:7-8
The mission of Jesus Christ on earth was beyond just preaching and performing miracles. He came to actively destroy the works of the devil which aim to oppose the work of God. Jesus liberates us from the devil’s influence through His sacrificial death and the power of His resurrection.
THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL
The devil led Adam and Eve to disobey God, as a result, all humanity went into bondage of sin and death. Before salvation, we were all under the works of the devil and spiritually dead because of our sins. We lived according to the desires of our flesh and were influenced by the devil (Eph 2:1-3). Jesus Christ came to set us us from the power and penalty of sin.
John states “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil” (1 John 3:8), but it’s important to note that all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. In this passage, John is specifically addressing those who persist in habitual sin— a continuous pattern of sinning. Such individuals resemble the devil in their behaviour, much like children resemble their parents.
The devil has never ceased sinning since his fall (John 8:44). Those who persist in continual sin are held captive by the devil’s destructive influence, and belong to him. Jesus appeared in human form to destroy the works of the devil—sin and death. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, however, Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10).
THE ULTIMATE VICTORY
Jesus Christ destroyed the works of the devil through His sacrificial death on the cross. He disarmed the powers of darkness and triumphed over sin and death (Col 2:15; Heb 2:14-15). The resurrection of Christ reveals His ultimate victory over the power of sin and death. Jesus came to crush the enemy, fulfilling the promise of Genesis 3:15. However, to experience redemption from sin, one must be born again by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The reason for the coming of Jesus Christ was to completely defeat the devil and destroy his works, offering eternal life and liberation to all who believe.
THE IMPACT OF HIS VICTORY
People who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them, distinguishing them as His children. They reveal their identity as children of God through righteous living and love for others (1 John 3:9-10). As children of God, sin no longer has dominion over us (Rom 6:14). Jesus has given us power and authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). Now we are able to resist temptation and overcome evil by doing good. Jesus took our sinful nature and gave us His righteousness so that we can live a righteous and victorious life.
The devil is defeated and his works are destroyed. He tempts believers to sin and deceives unbelievers to prevent them from coming to Christ. Therefore be careful of his tactics because he walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Let’s keep submitting ourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from us.
Further study: Ephesians 2:1-5
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