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The heavyweight champion of the worldTuesday, May 11, 1999
John 16:11 But when Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" something happened. The restoration Jesus accomplished in our physical world was only a reflection of what he completed in the spirit, in our spiritual world. If the prince of this world is condemned, then we - the common people of that world - are ultimately, finally, fully...free. John Wimber helps me understand something of Jesus' work when he talks about past, present and future and includes them all in a single reality. Jesus' saved me when I gave myself up to him. He is saving me right now as I walk with him. And he will save me when I die. So whether or not I experience freedom in my physical world, I'm free anyway. Free then, free now, free forever. Carman's story-song "The Champion" takes us into a boxing ring. Jesus and Satan are battling, round after round. Satan delivers his knockout punch and Jesus goes down (his crucifixion). The referee (God the Father) begins the 10 count. 10---9----8-----7------6------5-------4-------3...Satan's giggling and sneers turn to fear and trembling as Jesus rises from the mat------2-------won...Jesus has won! And "the prince of this world now stands condemned." As the stresses of my life break me down, Lord, as they confuse me and turn my head, your confident words echo with power and clarity in my mind. And then, again, I am free! |
Jesus believed in the devil. He knew the devil. As the stories of Jesus' life unfold in the Gospel, his interactions with the evil spiritual world seem to be an everyday occurrence. From his 40-day fast at the beginning of his ministry to his anguished prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Satan dogged his steps.