The Enemy Part 4: Death Series

We live in an evil world. The time is growing closer to the time of the end. We discussed this spiritual battle that we are all in, we touched on the enemies we face:

We all do battle with the devil, or Satan. The Bible calls him the accuser. He was the one that introduced sin into the world through temptation of the flesh, as we saw in the garden with Adam and Eve.

We also fight the Flesh, or our sinful nature. We can be our own worst enemies. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are, by nature, sinners. The devil and the world appeals to our sinful nature.

Our enemy is the world, the culture in which we live, which is ruled by the devil. The world by its very makeup is full of sinners, and thereby in opposition to God. We, as Christians, are in the world, but we are not of the world.

But there is one last enemy:

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. (all Bible quotes are from the NASB95)

Death as an enemy. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Two things are certain in life, Death and Taxes.” At last count, death is fatal to 100% of the population. There have been an estimated 110 billion that has ever lived in all of earth’s history. All but two (Enoch and Elijah) have died.

Today we look at our enemy of death and we, who are Christians and have Jesus as our Lord and Savior need to no longer fear death. Yes, short of Jesus’ coming, we all will face physical death, but that is not to be feared. Only those who are not saved, who are spiritual dead, need to fear death.

1 Corinthians 15:20–26

Hebrews 2:14–15

An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old that bears this epitaph: "Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me."

An unknown passerby had read those words and scratched this reply below them: "To follow you I’m not content, Until I know which way you went." The passerby was right, the important thing about death is what follows. Where are you going? [1]

As I had said earlier, death is 100% fatal.

Psalm 89:48 What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?

4000 years ago, Job asked the question

Job 14:14a “If a man dies, will he live again?

The fact is, the Bible plainly tells us that everyone will have an eternal existence and consciousness, but only those who know Jesus will have life. I believe everyone senses this eternal existence, though I sure many will deny it.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

There were those who rose from the dead or came back from the dead in the Bible, most notable is Lazarus. However, all these who returned to live a physical life, lived only to die again. Jesus is the only one to have been truly resurrected from the dead. That is to rise to never again die.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

First fruits is an Old Testament term use in making an offering. First fruits meant more of the same to come. Death of our physical bodies will happen one day short of Christ coming again for his own. Death of a believer is referred to as “sleep” in the NT. Why, because the believer will awake to life with Jesus. Those who sleep in the Lord will rise again.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

For those in Christ who will rise again, rise again to never die, in Revelation, it is called the first resurrection.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Being in the first resurrection means no more death. The first resurrection has already started – Jesus is the first. Those who sleep in Christ will be next. Others like Lazarus, rose only to die again –