Out of Business

"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."
1 John 3:8 (NIV)

After World War II, the fighting stops, but victory isn't declared yet. Soldiers move through every enemy stronghold and tear down the bunkers. They confiscate the weapons and remove the flags. Nothing is left standing that lets the enemy think he might still be in charge. That's what it means to win a war.

That's exactly what Jesus did the moment He rose. He didn't negotiate a truce with sin and let it keep operating in the shadows of your life. He dismantled its power completely. In today’s verse, John tells you clearly, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." That word "destroy" doesn't mean Jesus eliminated Satan's existence. It means He rendered his power inoperative. He put him out of business, out of commission.

There's an old saying that if the devil died today, you'd still sin tomorrow, and it explains something most of us would rather not admit. The problem was never just the devil. The problem is you, and the only person you can blame in the mirror is the one staring back. 

The devil's oldest trick has never been forcing anyone to sin. It's convincing people that sin is fine, even smart, or necessary. But he can tempt you. The devil cannot coerce you, force you, or make you do anything against your will.

So this week, when temptation knocks with its old familiar voice, the issue, the doubt, the comparison, the lust, the same lie it always uses, don't bargain with it like it still has authority over you. Declare this sentence, "You don't run this anymore." Thank God for destroying the devil’s work. Then walk away from whatever room that voice is coming from.

The devil isn't in charge of your story anymore. Jesus put him out of business the day He rose.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for destroying the power that once controlled me. When temptation comes with its same old voice today, help me remember and declare that it has no authority here anymore. In Jesus' Name, Amen.