For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
(1 John 3:8b, NKJV)
The previous teaching clearly pointed out that at the cross a proclamation was made that our debt has been paid in full, and that our debenture was nailed to the cross. The Message succinctly paraphrases Col 2:14-15 in this regard – “Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s Cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.”
The Scripture in 1 John 3:8b does however make an important point which we need to keep in mind – “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” The word destroy in Greek is luo, which according to the NASB Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible has two different meanings. Firstly it is a word connoted with jurisdiction – “(1) to pronounce or determine that something or someone is no longer bound; (2) to dissolve or void a contract or anything that legally binds”. The literal meaning is then “to dissolve, or melt, break, beat something to pieces or untie something that is bound”. It is clear that the cross of Christ does not only deal with any legal right which Evil may have on our lives in jurisdiction terms, but also in a very literal manner. It has been done.
But if we see this event as a ruling by a judge, we also have the right to effectively enforce it. In this we misunderstand the mandate which the born-again sons of God have received. But it nonetheless still needs to be enforced. We who have been freed from the power of sin and the works of Satan, are called to bring his victory on the cross to fulfillment. If in John 17:4 He says to the Father, “the work which You have given Me to do”, it is qualified in verse 18 – “As You sent Me into this world, I also have sent them into the world.” This also applies to you and I – “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me …” (verses 20-21).
Peter’s mandate in Mat 16:19 is also our mandate – “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” The word loose here, is also the Greek luo, the word which was translated as destroy earlier. The opposite is also part of our task – the Greek duo. (Please note that this Scripture has NO relation to the binding of demons.)
Our mandate in Christ is luo and duo. It is perhaps best spelled out by the assignment given to Jeremiah (1:10) – “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” Dutch Sheets explains it as follows – “ Although Jesus fully accomplished the task of breaking the authority of Satan and voiding his legal hold upon the human race, someone on earth must represent Him in that victory and enforce it.”
- Sela: Explain to someone the nature of this amazing sense of authority which you and I have received.
- Read: 1 Kings 10-12
- Examine how this has been fulfilled: 1 Kings 10:4-5 (Tip: Matt 12:42).
