The War has Been Won!

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. 
John 19:28-30

General Norman Schwarzkopf revealed after the Persian Gulf War that the 100 hour battle was decided in the very first minutes when Allied planes savaged Iraqi air defenses. “When I saw our planes knock out their radar, I knew at that very moment we had them,” Schwarzkopf said. There is a very distinct parallel for the Christian. Although we are in a very real war, with enticements to sin and an adversary who harasses us, the outcome of the conflict has been decided.

That occurred at Calvary when Jesus “disarmed the rulers and authorities” making “a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him” (Col. 2:15). Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. He took away the sting of death by bearing our sins, making reconciliation between God and man possible.

The man or woman who has believed in Him and received His forgiveness of sins is on the winning side. But we deal with our foe on the ground of victory. We are not helpless, frightened little children but sons and daughters of God who triumph over Satan “through Him.”

Don’t shrink from the battle. It was won at Golgotha; and you share in its victory through your union with the Victor, Jesus Christ.

“But resist him, firm in your faith...” 1 Peter 5:9