While teaching a week-long course on Revival
at a Bible school in Canada, I found myself wide-awake at 3 a.m. one morning.
My mind was gripped with the truth of Satan’s absolute defeat through the
resurrection of Christ, and I knew I was to share it with the class that
morning.
It
was appropriate for I discovered that many had been indoctrinated with an
approach to spiritual warfare that attributes too much to the devil and tends
to put the child of God in fear. Such an approach relies too heavily on the Old
Testament and ignores the cosmic shift that occurred when Jesus was raised from
the dead.
Here are 5
resurrection realities that will remove all fear of Satan and rock our world with the fresh fire of revival.
Resurrection Reality #1
Jesus Inflicted on Satan a Mortal Wound
That Fulfilled the Prophecy of Genesis 3:15
Jesus Inflicted on Satan a Mortal Wound
That Fulfilled the Prophecy of Genesis 3:15
Genesis 3:15 reads, I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he
will bruise your head, and you will bruise is heel.
These words were spoken by God to the serpent after the fall of
our first parents. The "seed of the woman" in this passage is an
allusion to a future descendant of Eve who will defeat the serpent and reverse
the curse brought on by his deception.
According to this prophecy, the "seed of the woman"
will receive a temporary wound from Satan—"you will bruise His
heel"—but the "seed of woman" shall inflict on Satan a final and
mortal wound—"He will bruise your head."
The first part of this Messianic promise, that refers to the “seed
of the woman,” was fulfilled through the virgin birth of Jesus, which occurred
without the involvement of a man. The second part of the prophecy was fulfilled
at the time of the resurrection when the Seed of the woman bruised the
serpent’s head, inflicting on him a fatal and final wound.
That Satan had been decisively defeated was obvious when Jesus
emerged from the tomb and declared, All
authority is given to Me in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore . . ..
(Matthew 18:19). As a Bible school student, I heard a question posed by a guest
speaker that I never forgot. He read this passage and then asked, “If Jesus has
all authority, how much does this leave the devil?”
The
majestic authority of the risen Lord was clearly seen by John on the Isle of
Patmos. When John saw Him in His resplendent power and glory, he said, I fell at His feet as dead (Revelation
1:17). Jesus then laid His hand on John and said,
Do not be afraid; I am
the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold I am alive
forever more, Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and death (Revelation 1:18).
Resurrection
Reality #2
Jesus is Now Seated Far Above All Principality and Power
Jesus is Now Seated Far Above All Principality and Power
If
for Paul, the cross of Christ is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love, the
resurrection of Christ is the ultimate demonstration of God’s power. It can be
said that the resurrection of Christ is the greatest demonstration of power the
universe has ever known, even greater than the power exerted in creation, for the
resurrection brought life out of death and defeated the spiritual enemies of
God, such as sin and Satan.
The
overwhelming victory of Christ over Satan is delineated by Paul in Ephesians
1:15-23 where he speaks of Christ being raised from the dead by the mighty
power of God and then being seated at His right hand in the heavenly places.
The
“right hand” in Scripture is symbolic of authority and power. Psalm 98:1, for
example, says of God, His right hand and His holy arm have gotten Him the
victory. When Paul says that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God, he is saying that
Jesus is seated at the pinnacle of the universe, in the place of ultimate
authority and power.
This
place where Christ is seated, Paul says, is far above all principality and
power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this
age but also in that which is to come (Eph. 1:21). It doesn’t matter what
kind of principality or power it may be—even Satan himself--the place where
Christ is now seated is far above them all.
And
here is what is incredible! In Ephesians 2:5-6, Paul says that those who have
put their faith in Christ are seated with Him in that place of authority. In
other words, as His people, we share in that authority. No wonder Satan
trembles at the child of God who knows his/her position and authority in
Christ.
Resurrection
Reality #3
Christ’s Resurrection Power is at Work For You
Christ’s Resurrection Power is at Work For You
In
his discussion of the resurrection of Christ in Ephesians 1:19, Paul says that
the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is toward us who believe. (NKJV). The word “toward” is a translation
of the Greek preposition eis, which
literally means “into.” The NIV has translated eis as “for” and the Amplified translates it as “in.”
We
can say, therefore, that the resurrection power of Christ is directed “toward”
us, that it is “in” us, and that it is “for” us. Paul alludes to this in II
Corinthians where he said, For we who
live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake that the life of Jesus may
be manifested in our mortal flesh. In other words, we are not yet in
heaven. We live in this fallen world where death is at work, but in the midst
of it all, resurrection life is at work in us.
In
the early days of our marriage and ministry, Sue and I experienced a series of
attacks that seemed to devastate our lives and our ministry. When it seemed all
was lost, and the vision had died, I heard the Lord speaking clearly to me, “Don’t
be afraid of death because I am the Resurrection.”
We
then put our trust in the Lord as never before and saw Him bring the vision
back to life in ways we could never have imagined, schemed, or planned. We saw
His resurrection life and power at work!
From
that day, I knew Jesus, not only as the one who heals our hurts, but as the One
who raises to life dreams, visions and hopes that have died. I now knew the resurrection
to be more than a past event. I knew the resurrection to be personified in the
person of Jesus Christ who by His Spirit lives in me.
We,
therefore, do not have to fear death of any sort for the One who is the Resurrection
and the Life now lives in us. John had this revelation, which is why he declared,
You dear children are from God and have
overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world
(I John 4:4).
Resurrection
Reality #4
Satan’s Only Power Resides in His Ability to Deceive
Satan’s Only Power Resides in His Ability to Deceive
Stripped
of all authority, Satan can only wield influence in the earth through lies and
deceptions. He is like a bold and blustery general who is use to barking orders
until one day he is found guilty of treason and court-martialed. He is stripped
of all authority, humiliated and drummed out of the service.
Now,
if this former general can find some troops that don’t know he has been
stripped of his authority, he will be able to exercise authority over them. But
when the truth is forthcoming, the meekest private can tell him to get lost for
his authority has all been taken away. This is the situation with Satan and
demons.
This
is why Revelation 12:9 refers to him as that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. Jesus said of him, When
he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the
father of it (John 8:44). Satan holds much of this present world in his grasp
through lies and deceptions.
This
is why Jesus said in John. 8:32, And you shall know the truth, and the truth
will make you free. The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what He has
done through His death and resurrection dispels the lies of Satan, even as
light dispels darkness. When the lie is gone, Satan has no ground or place to
operate. Nothing, therefore, can take the place of truth of God’s word in the
church and in our personal lives.
Resurrection
Reality #5
There is No Room for Fear When We Know the Truth of the Resurrection
There is No Room for Fear When We Know the Truth of the Resurrection
I
recall listening to the elder statesman of miracle evangelism, the late Dr. T.
L. Osborn, tell about preaching in an outdoor crusade in Africa. Many thousands
were in attendance including hundreds of witch doctors who had come with their
fetishes to work their magic against the foreign preacher.
Before
going on the platform, the supporting pastors wanted to lay hands on him and
pray for his protection from the devil. T. L. refused their prayer. He said, “I
would not insult my Lord in that way.” T. L. focused his attention on preaching
the good news of Jesus’ resurrection power that day and many came to Christ
and many were miraculously set free from all kinds of illnesses and bondages.
And some Christian pastors realized that they did not have to fear the devil.
It
is said that Smith Wigglesworth heard a loud noise in his basement in the
middle of the night and went down to investigate. As he looked around with only
a small lamp, he saw what appeared to be a manifestation of the devil in the
corner of the room. Smith said, “Oh, it’s just you,” and walked back up the
stairs and went to bed.
We
were once visiting relatives and their small son was very sick. We prayed but
nothing seemed to change. Later, while coming down the stairs, I had a knowing
inside that the sickness was caused by a demonic attack against the child.
Interestingly, we did not have to do anything else for from that moment the
sickness was gone. The light had dispelled the darkness.
We
are to be sober and alert in our dealings with the devil, but never afraid.
Conclusion
The
success of the early church can be attributed to the fact that they preached
continually about the resurrection of Jesus. It was not a once a year thing
with them; it was an every-day reality in which they lived, walked and
breathed. Jesus was alive!
In
the preaching of the Gospel, it is the resurrection power of Jesus that changes
lives. We are not offering another self-help program for those bound by sin and
addictions. We have a message that is infused with resurrection life and power
and able to transform the vilest sinner. It can take an arch-persecutor of the
church, such Saul of Tarsus, and transform him into the passionate Apostle to
the Gentiles.
Knowing
that we have a message of Life—resurrection Life—let us never back away from boldly
sharing the Gospel with even the most difficult cases. Because He ever lives in
resurrection life and power, He is able to, in the words of the writer to the
Hebrews, to save to the uttermost those who
come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25).
This
year, let’s recover the centrality of the message of Jesus and His
resurrection. This is a key to seeing true Spiritual awakening in the churches of
America and a great harvest of souls.
Dr.
Eddie Hyatt is an author, Bible teacher and ordained minister with a passion
for Spiritual awakening in America and throughout the earth. His books on revival
and reformation are available from Amazon and his website at
www.eddiehyatt.com. To contact him for a speaking engagement, email him at dreddiehyatt@gmail.com.
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