By His Death The Savior Ended Satan's Power Over Us

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

By His Death The Savior Ended Satan's Power Over Us

Today's Text: Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. John 14:30

The Message:      The Commander of heaven was assailed by the tempter. He had no clear, unobstructed passage through the world. He was not left free and without hindrance to win to His kingdom the souls of people by His gracious mercy and loving-kindness.... No human being had come into the world and escaped the power of the deceiver. The whole forces of the confederacy of evil were set upon His track to engage in warfare against Him, and, if possible, to prevail over Him....      Satan saw the image of God in the character and person of Jesus Christ. He knew that if Christ carried out His plan, his satanic authority would be at an end. Therefore, the life of Christ was a perpetual warfare against satanic agencies.... The conflict increased in fierceness and malignity as again and again the prey was taken out of his hands....      Just previous to His crucifixion the Saviour said, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." Though it was the hour of the power of darkness, yet in anticipation of His triumph Christ could say, "The prince of the world is judged." "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." Viewing the work of redemption as completed, He could, even in death, speak of the great final deliverance and represent things that were future as if [they were] present. The only begotten Son of the infinite God could successfully carry through the great plan that made humanity's salvation sure....      The condition of the world previous to the first appearing of Christ is a picture of the condition of the world just previous to His second advent. The same iniquity will exist; Satan manifests the same delusive power upon human minds.... He is securing his army of human agents to engage in the last conflict against the Prince of life, to overthrow the law of God, which is the foundation of His throne. Satan will work with miraculous presentations to confirm people in the belief that he is what he claims to be-the prince of this world-and that victory is his. He will turn his forces against those who are loyal to God; but though he may cause pain, distress, and human agony, he cannot defile the soul.... The people of God in these last days must expect to enter into the thick of the conflict, for the prophetic Word says, "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."-Letter 43, 1895 (The Review and Herald, October 29, 1895).

Commentary: My friend, the power that Satan wields over men has come to an end by the death of the Son of God upon the cross.  By putting the Son of God to death on the cross, his power has been broken, and the power of God is made available to all that would accept the gift of God and allow His Spirit to live within them.  Yet how few today have truly accepted the gift of God in His Son.  Many today have accepted Christ as their Savior, but have not yielded up the throne of their hearts to the Spirit of God through His Son, that He may give them power over sin. Though Satan is a defeated foe, he still needs to be vanquished from the hearts of men through the indwelling of Jesus Christ.  Through the cunning and subtle deceptions of Satan, nearly all of the Christian world has accepted a counterfeit in place of the real.  Through their belief in the trinity they have been deceived into worshiping a triune god verses the One true God of the Bible.  By this deception he continues to hold sway with the professed followers of God. Today, the remnant church of God has also been taken in by this deadly deception.  By the churches adoption of the trinity, which there is no clear biblical support, they have accepted in place of the One true God, a counterfeit that has the outward appearance of God, but in reality is the god of Babylon.  The trinity originated at the Tower of Babel and lives within the Roman Catholic Church today, and is the foundation of all of her teachings.  Through her ecumenical outreach she has led the whole of the Christian world to worship this false image of God. How sad it is that the once pure church of Philadelphia, which was the beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has become the apostate church of Laodicea.  By the churches adoption of the trinity she has become Laodicea, a church who's condition is such that it is sickening to God.  The trinity is the image of jealousy spoken of by the prophet Ezekiel, for it introduces another way of salvation, and is the source of all of the abominations that plague the church today.  By the adoption of the trinity, the church is not following the Spirit of Christ, but the spirit of Satan.  Jesus is depicted as on the outside seeking to gain entrance, saying "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20). Since the church is no longer following the Spirit of Christ, it no longer has the righteousness of Christ, which is why the Faithful and True Witness says "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Revelation 3:17, 18). Though the churches condition is terrible, there is still hope for those caught within the Babylonian deception.  He says "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Revelation 18:4).  "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:19). My friend, the power to overcome sin is made available to us through the Son of God, not through the counterfeit spirit of "God the Son".  It is high time that we awaken to our spiritual condition before God, and heed warning given to us by the Faithful and True Witness. God bless,

Video of the Week Unto the 3rd & 4th Generation - by Pastor Bill Taitague This message is presented by my father, retired Pastor Bill Taitague.  It is an eye opening message on how Satan has eaten away the truths given to us by God through the church pioneers.  This is part one of a four part series presented to members of a home church following the One true God in California.