Jesus' Present Authority Assures Us of Our Final Victory
There is no dualistic battle for the universe. The glorious throne of God will never be Satan’s seat. There is no dismal end credit scene after the storyline of the Bible promising an unforeseen future at the end of the narrative of Scripture. There is only victory, for the God of all sovereignty who controls all things will subdue all His enemies and conquer them.
One of the ways we glimpse into God’s present power and are able to grasp His future promise of victory is in Jesus’ encounters with demons in the gospels.
In Jesus’ ministry we have a glimpse, like a teaser trailer, of what Jesus will ultimately do, once He eradicates spiritual evil once and for all and eliminates any physical effects of the fall.
Demons and the devil himself are enemies of God, but they are defeated enemies, who:
Shudder in terror because of the knowledge of God (James 2:19)
Have been disarmed and put to public shame (Colossians 2:15)
Will be seized (Revelation 20:2)
Will be squashed under our feet (Romans 16:20)
And will ultimately suffer forever (Revelation 20:10)
As Jesus subjects satanic forces under His control, He shows that he will conquer demonic oppression without any challenge or contest!
In other words, in Jesus’ first coming He had demons on a leash, and in His second coming He will hang that leash from a tree.
Trent Roseman is the Next Generation Pastor at First Baptist Church Tampa, FL. He graduated from Southwest Baptist University with his Bachelors of Arts in Biblical Studies and is currently an MDiv student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jessica Roseman, just welcomed their firstborn son, Judah David, into the world. Trent enjoys to read, write, drink coffee, kayak, listen to podcasts, and spend time with his wife and son.
Follow Trent on Twitter: @trentroseman