Tuesday February 28, 2006
SWORD N SPIRIT
www.swordnspirit.com
HEBREWS 2:14
"FROM VICTORY NOT FOR VICTORY"
SETTING THE STAGE
It was a mild October afternoon in 1982 and Badger Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin was packed. Over 60,000 die-hard University of Wisconsin fans were watching their beloved football team take a beating by Michigan State. What seemed odd was that as the score became more and more lopsided, busts of cheers and applause kept being heard in the stands. It was only natural that some people began to wonder who these strange people were who were cheering while their team was being pummeled.
As it turns out some seventy miles away from Badger stadium the Milwaukee Brewers were beating the St. Louis Cardinals in game three of the World Series. Many of the Badger fans in the stands were listening to portable radios and responding to something else besides what was happening right in front of their eyes.
In many ways that is a fairly accurate description of what the Christian life is like when battling the assaults of the adversary. We don’t fight FOR victory in the circumstances before us, but we battle FROM the victory which was secured some distance away by Him who left us an empty tomb. Our fight has already been fought and won, and it is from that victory that our hearts cheer in Christ, for the devil has indeed been defeated.
STATING THE TEXT:
"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil."
OPENING THE TEXT:
The Greek word for "destroy" in our text for today is (katergazomai), and it means to: Bring to nothing and make inoperative.
The primary context of our verse is that Jesus Christ has destroyed the power of Satan,...that power which he had over sin and death. Everyone who now comes to Christ by faith and receives Him as both Lord and Savior, are free from the fear of death; they continue to live in Christ’s victory and the hope of everlasting life.
Along with our primary context of destroying the power of Satan over sin and death, we have John’s words in I John 3:8 which states, "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil."
We all have areas where temptation to sin is very strong, along with habits that are difficult to conquer. Although Satan’s power over death and his works have been destroyed, he still has power to perceive our areas of vulnerability and weaknesses along with present license by God to "seek" a foothold.
The point is this: Although the devil is allowed the "seeking" of entrance into our lives, faith anchored in the victory of Christ prohibits him from gaining the actual foothold.
When we are looking at the trials and testings before us, or any other struggle that we are attempting to work through, we can cheer and rejoice in the victory that was secured long ago when Jesus rose from the dead. The focal point of our victory is not in the "stadium" of our present difficulties. We do not battle FOR victory, but we stand in faith FROM victory. We can now stand in the game of our testings and yet do the "freedom wave" with the sign of victory, for our triumphant herald is, "He is risen...He is risen...He is risen indeed!"
SCRIPTURES 2 PONDER:
"Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:31-32).
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:13-14).
"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Col. 2:15).
"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." (I John 3:8)."
"The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (II Tim. 4:18).
"You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great." (Psalm 18:35).
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isa 41:10).
"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (Isa. 46:4).
CONCLUSION:
Scripture informs us that the weapons in which we battle are not of this world, they are spiritual weapons. The weapons of faith (prayer, praise and fellowship along with the Sword of his Spirit the Word of God) will remain an impenetrable fortress of defense against any fiery dart the adversary determines to hurl our way.
MARANATHA
JD
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