Divine Intervention: Christ's Victory in Spiritual Warfare

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [00:00:31]

The whole trouble in the world at this moment and the whole tragic history of the human race is directly the result of the efforts and the activities of the devil and these powers which he governs. All our troubles today have ultimately come out of the fall of man which, you remember, was procured by the devil and his subtle temptation. [00:01:31]

The message of the Bible, of course, is one of redemption. It's one of salvation. What we've got in this book is the history of redemption. That's its meaning. It's only one message and it's one unfolding and continuing and developing message. That is the explanation, of course, of the extraordinary unity of this great book. [00:03:04]

God came down and inaugurated this great movement of salvation the moment man fell. It begins in the Garden of Eden itself, as you will find described in the third chapter of the Book of Genesis. And then we saw that in addition to that, God had brought in what we called common grace, government, culture, designed to restrain and to control sin. [00:04:04]

There is a reference not at all infrequently to one who is described as the Angel of the Lord. Now, he obviously was a very special being, a very special person, not an ordinary angel, but the Angel of the Lord or sometimes he is described as the Angel of God. [00:06:31]

When the fullness of the times was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. Now then, here is the vital move. When the fullness of the times was come, what time? And there's only one answer: it is God's time. [00:11:02]

Christ came into the world to deliver men from the bondage and the captivity of the devil and his forces, and that is the commission that is given to those who preach the gospel. That's the meaning of Advent. He came to set us free, to deliver us from Satan's foul bondage. [00:15:59]

The angels had been looking on. They'd seen what had happened to God's universe. They had seen the havoc that the devil had wrought in creation, and they were grieved. They live to praise God and to worship Him, and they saw what the devil had done. And they're waiting. At last, the vital move has happened. [00:21:25]

The devil and his forces began to attack. They began, of course, in attacking Joseph. You will find in that first chapter of Matthew that Joseph was very disturbed when he found that Mary was going to bear a child, and he decided to cancel his engagement, as it were, to put her aside. [00:25:00]

Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. That's what's happening. The fight has reached its climax. He's here finally going to cast out the devil as the god or the prince of this world. He's going to dethrone him in order that those who believe in him may be set free. [00:31:36]

The devil has been defeated by the Son of God. He is already a defeated foe. Don't forget that. John 12:31: Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And he was cast out at that point. [00:37:03]

The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet already are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. That's the final end of the devil and the principalities and powers. [00:38:55]