What Christmas Promises... Victory!

I read the word of God from 1 John 3:7.

Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that practices sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of God does not practice sin, for his seed remaineth in Him, and he cannot practice sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil.

Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain who was of that wicked one and killed his brother.

And why killed he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

It is possible to be a child of God or a child of the devil.

We usually associate Christmas with peace. After all, the angels came and said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men." "He shall guide our feet in the ways of peace," said Zacharias. And the Old Testament prophet said that one of his names would be the Prince of Peace.

And so it's proper in a world that's filled with a great deal of turmoil and strife, to talk about peace at Christmas time.

And yet actually the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem was part of an ancient war, a war that had been going on between God and Satan from the beginning when Satan fell and rebelled against God.

Now John takes Satan seriously. In 1 John 3, he talks about the devil, and Jesus took Satan seriously. He confronted him in the wilderness. He defeated him in life after life during his ministry. The Bible takes Satan seriously.

I know we have those who tell us that there is no such person as Satan. Satan is now used as a means of entertainment. The rise of the occult and the development of Satanic cults is reminding people today that we'd better be serious about Satan here.

In 1 John 3:8, John gives us the third reason why the Lord Jesus was born. He was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Back in 1 John 3:5, He was manifested to take away sin. Back in 1 John 1:2, the life was manifested. The promise of Christmas is the promise of life and forgiveness and victory. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Now this raises the question, how did the Lord Jesus Christ destroy the works of the devil? He did not destroy the devil, He destroyed the works of the devil.

John is talking about a war, he's talking about a conflict, and he's talking about a victory.

Now how does all of this come about and what does it mean to you and me who are here worshipping in Chicago today?

When you examine our Lord's battle with the devil, a battle that ended in victory, you will discover that there were FOUR CRISES involved in this victory. And if you and I understand these 4 crises, we will be able to accept from the Lord the kind of victory that He wants us to have in our lives.

I'm sure I'm speaking just now to people who want victory.

Somebody listening just now is saying this last week has been a week of defeat. I wish I could take those pages out of my diary and burn them. And if I did that, the memory is still there. We're surrounded by many people who are defeated. The soldiers are becoming casualties. And whether we like it or not, Satan is busy at work. He's wrecking lives. He's wrecking ministries. He's wrecking homes.

How do we get this victory? Let's notice these FOUR CRISES that are involved in our Lord's victory over Satan.

Crisis number one: His birth. In his birth, Jesus invaded Satan's world. You say, "Wait a minute, pastor, where is he? This is my Father's world." That's right.

But if you read the Gospel of John carefully, you will find that the Lord Jesus uses a name for Satan that identifies him with this world. He's called the Prince of this world. "Now is the judgment of this world," said Jesus. "Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out." He said to his disciples, "The Prince of this world cometh, but he hath nothing in me."

Satan is the Prince of this world. This world system is controlled by the power of Satan.

1 John 5:19: "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."

The literal translation: the whole world is lying in the lap of the wicked one. Satan has this world in his lap and he's rocking it and putting it to sleep.

Do you think people today are awake? No, they're sound asleep. They don't realize the war that's going on. Oh, they talk a lot about violence and they worry a great deal about peace and they tremble before they read the morning newspaper. But the world as such does not realize there's a war going on. Our Lord told the disciples, "You're not of this world, I've chosen you out of this world."

And the writer says in 1 John 2:15, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

I don't mean the world of people. I don't mean the earth that God made. I mean that world system that's opposed to God.

When the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth, to use a military term, he invaded enemy-held territory. He came to this planet that Satan's controlling, and by coming into this world he established a beachhead.

God so loved the world. Jesus was sent into the world. "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." Jesus came to bear the sin of the world. He came to die for the world. He's the Savior of the world.

So in his birth, our Lord invaded this world.

The second crisis: His life and his death. In his life and his death, Jesus destroyed Satan's works.

When you go back into Genesis chapter 3 and you read the account of what we call the fall of man, you will find that there were five consequences that came as a result of Adam and Eve sinning. And all five of those consequences are the work of Satan.

The first work of Satan was deception. Satan came to deceive. The serpent said to Eve, "Hath God said?" He questioned the word of God. "Ye shall not surely die." He denied the word of God. "Ye shall be as gods." He substituted his word for the word of God.

And to this very hour, Satan's chief work is to deceive people through lies. Jesus said, "He's a liar and the father of lies."

The second work was death. God said to Adam, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." And they did die. They died spiritually. They died physically ultimately. Satan brought death into the world.

The third work of Satan was disobedience. Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Satan is the author of all disobedience. He rebelled against God. He tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against God. And sin is lawlessness. Sin is disobedience.

The fourth work of Satan was disgrace, or shame. Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together. They hid from God. They were ashamed. Satan brings shame.

And then the fifth work of Satan was division. God said there would be enmity between the serpent and the woman, between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. Division came into God's creation.

Now when the Lord Jesus Christ lived on this earth and when he died on the cross, he conquered every one of these works of Satan. How did he conquer them?

He conquered deception with truth. "I am the way, the truth and the life." "Thy word is truth." Jesus lived a life of truth. He taught the truth. He is the truth. And he conquers Satan's lies with God's truth.

He conquered death with life. "I am come that they might have life." "I am the resurrection and the life." He said to Martha, "I am the bread of life, the water of life." He came to give life, and ultimately he had to die that we might live. But when he arose from the dead, he proved that he had conquered death.

He conquered disobedience with obedience. The Bible says in Romans 5:19, "As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Jesus was obedient to the Father. He always did the things that pleased the Father.

He conquered disgrace with righteousness. Adam and Eve were ashamed. God had to clothe them. And we who have trusted Jesus Christ, we're clothed with the righteousness of God. We're not ashamed to come before God because we're clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

And he conquered division with love. He died that we might be brought nigh. He died that the barrier between Jew and Gentile might be broken down. He died that we might have peace with God and that through us there might be the message of peace to a lost world.

So you see, in his life and in his death, Jesus conquered the works of the devil.

When Jesus died on the cross, He openly defeated Satan. Colossians 2:15 says that Jesus Christ on the cross disarmed principalities and powers. He stripped them of their weapons and their armor. He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in the cross.

The cross of Jesus Christ looked like a defeat. His enemies said, "Aha, we've got him now. We've killed him. We'll put him in a tomb. We'll seal it. We'll put a guard. And that's the end of Jesus of Nazareth."

But the cross was not a defeat. It was a victory. On that cross, Jesus Christ defeated Satan and all of his hosts. He disarmed them. He stripped them of their weapons. He made a show of them openly. He triumphed over them.

So in his birth, he invaded Satan's world. In his life and death, he destroyed Satan's works.

The third crisis: His resurrection and ascension. By his resurrection and ascension, Jesus Christ claimed Satan's spoil.

When a general goes forth to battle and when he wins the battle, he brings back the spoil. And the Lord Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection has won the battle, and you and I are a part of the spoil that belongs to Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 4:8, we read, "When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men."

What does that mean? In the Old Testament, when a conquering general would return from battle, he would lead his captives. He would parade through the streets of the city. People would cheer. And he had with him all of the spoil from the battle—the treasures, the captives that he had taken.

When the Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, he led captivity captive. Satan thought he had us in captivity, but Jesus set us free. And you and I who have trusted Jesus Christ, we're a part of that spoil. We're a part of that victory parade.

Satan claims us. Satan says, "These people belong to me. They're sinners. They've broken God's law. They deserve to be punished." But Jesus Christ paid the price. Jesus Christ set us free. Jesus Christ conquered Satan, and you and I have been delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son.

The Bible says in Colossians 1:13, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."

We're a part of the spoil. Satan thought he owned us, but Jesus bought us with his own precious blood. Jesus paid the price. Jesus set us free.

So in his birth, he invaded Satan's world. In his life and death, he destroyed Satan's works. In his resurrection and ascension, he claimed Satan's spoil.

The fourth crisis: His return. When Jesus Christ comes again, he's going to end Satan's warfare.

Now Satan's still loose. Satan's still deceiving. Satan's still destroying. Satan's still active. But one of these days, Jesus Christ is going to return, and when he returns, he's going to deal with Satan once and for all.

In Revelation 12:7-12, you have a picture of Satan being thrown out of heaven. The Bible says in the last days there's going to be war in heaven. Michael and his angels are going to fight against Satan and his angels, and Satan's going to be cast down to the earth. And when he's cast down to the earth, he knows he has but a short time, so he's going to persecute Israel.

But then in Revelation 19, Jesus Christ returns to this earth with the armies of heaven, and he defeats Satan and all of his hosts. And in Revelation 20, Satan is bound and cast into a bottomless pit for a thousand years.

And then at the end of the thousand years, Satan is loosed for a little season, and he makes one last attempt to rebel against God. And then God sends fire from heaven and devours him, and Satan is cast into the lake of fire where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

If you study the last few chapters of the book of Revelation, you'll discover that in chapters Revelation 17-18, the world passes away. Revelation 19-20, Satan is defeated. And then in Revelation 21-22, we have a new heaven and a new earth.

Revelation 19 emphasizes the conquest of the flesh. If you read the book of Revelation this morning, you read the end of chapter 19. Heaven opens, our Lord comes down, He leads the armies of heaven, and you find one word repeated 6 times: Flesh, flesh, flesh—eat the flesh of kings, eat the flesh of captains, eat the flesh of great men.

Revelation 19: Jesus Christ comes and He conquers flesh.

Revelation 20: He lays hold of Satan, casts him into a bottomless pit. He conquers Satan.

Revelation 21-22: The world flees away, and God makes a new heaven and a new earth.

There's going to come a day when Jesus will finally and completely conquer the world and the flesh and the devil.

There are those who tell us that today Satan is bound. Someone told James M. Gray that Satan was bound, and his reply was, "He must have an awfully long chain."

No, Satan's not bound yet. Satan's loose. He's going to and fro upon this earth as a roaring lion. But one of these days the Lion of the tribe of Judah will take the lion who is Satan and conquer him, and there'll be no more destruction.

The serpent is still slithering around, and he's out to infect and poison and spread lies and deceit. "Hath God said?" But one of these days Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, by the sword of his mouth, will conquer him, and the serpent will no longer deceive.

No more destruction from the lion, no more deception from the serpent.

Satan's the accuser of the brethren. Satan stands before God and accuses us and accuses us, and he comes to us sometimes and accuses us. But one day Jesus Christ shall throw him out of heaven. One day Jesus Christ shall put him into a bottomless pit. A bottomless pit—that means you fall forever. And there'll be no more accusation.

Satan is the murderer, but thank God there will be no more death. Satan brings pain and sorrow, but thank God, when Jesus comes, there'll be no more tears and no more pain.

Satan's the Prince of darkness, but there'll be no darkness in the world that God makes. There'll be no night there.

When Jesus Christ comes again, he will end Satan's warfare.

And my question is, whose side are you on?

Don't go around singing about peace if you're on the wrong side of the war.

Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me."

"I'll be neutral." You cannot.

"I'll not decide." You are deciding.

He that is not with me is against me. And he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.

You know what Satan's doing today? He's scattering. Our Lord came to bind everything together, to bring Jew and Gentile together in the church, to bring bond and free together. God sent Jesus to bring things together and Satan is busy scattering them. He's scattering homes and he's scattering lives.

And you've got to make a decision: which side are you going to be on? Because there's no neutrality in this war.

In his birth, he invaded Satan's world. In his life and death, he destroyed Satan's works. In his resurrection and his ascension, he claims Satan's spoil. He can claim you today, make you a part of his inheritance, make something out of you. And when he comes again, he's going to end Satan's warfare.

The only way you'll ever have peace in the midst of this war is to surrender to Jesus Christ.

Which will it be, my friend? A child of the devil? Pride, self righteousness, hatred, deceit? Or a child of God? God's righteousness, God's love, God's truth as we humble ourselves before him.

It's your decision, it's your destiny.

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus Christ to fight the war, that we might enjoy the peace.

Thank you that He was willing to go even to the death of the cross, that we might be delivered from a lake of fire.

And I would pray for all who have heard the word today that you might speak to hearts, Father. There may be some whose self righteousness is so sincere they have even fooled themselves. There may be those here today, Father, who have never truly been born again, but who are going about establishing their own righteousness. Their mouth has never been stopped in judgment. Their heart has never been broken over sin.

And so I pray that you will speak to hearts, and may there be those today who will come to the Lord's side. Trust Him and help those of us who know You, Father, to claim the victory we have in Christ. You have delivered us from the power of darkness. We don't have to walk in darkness. You have put Your love in our hearts by Your Spirit. How can we have hatred? You have given us the truth of Your Word. How can we believe lies?

Oh gracious Father, may we go forth in walk and warfare on the side of Christ and not on the side of the devil.

Hear us as we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.