Satan is Bound
While we are getting rid of one-word doctrines, we should get rid of the doctrine that Satan will not be bound until the second coming of Jesus. This belief has caused Christians to allow Satan much greater authority on earth than he deserves. It is based on a misunderstanding of Revelation 20:1-3, which makes the binding of Satan a future event.
The Bible teaches very clearly that we do not have to wait for Satan to be bound in the future. He was defeated by Jesus’ victory on the cross. Jesus disarmed Satan and all his powers, by making a public spectacle of them, when he triumphed on the cross (Col 2:15). He has already done everything that needs to be done to secure Satan’s downfall.
The reason Satan still seems to be so active is that the church has failed to realise the full extent of what Christ has achieved. In binding Satan, Jesus works through the church. He has placed the chain that binds Satan in the hands of his people. They must restrain Satan’s power over the nations. Jesus won a judicial victory on the cross. When a decision is made in a court of law it does not become a fact until the police enforce it. The church has the police power to enforce Jesus judicial victory. Satan will only be fully bound until the church forces him to recognise the sentence that was passed against him at the cross.
The crucial question is this: when was Satan bound? The Bible teaches that he was bound at the cross. One last example is Matthew 12:29. Here, Jesus taught that Satan is bound. He was able to cast out evil spirits because the strongman had already been bound.How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man?
The fact that the early church was able to continue this deliverance ministry is proof that Satan was bound at the cross. We must accept the verdict of the Bible. Jesus does not have to return to bind Satan. He has already done everything necessary to restrain him. We just have to do our part.
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3 comments:
Interesting look at that, Ron.
I certainly agree that Satan was defeated at the cross and all authority has been given to Christ and this for the church.
But I also see the Ephesians 6 passage about our wrestling against the spiritual forces of darkness, and that Satan is the god of this age.
I suppose you would say that this is because the church has faied in the authority in Christ that has been given it. But the wheat and the tares/weeds will keep growing together until God sends his angels to divide them in judgment. This seems indicative to me that the enemy who sowed the tares, the devil, is to be at work in the world until that time. And that his authority being stripped is made evident by the gospel and its power to save all who believe.
Ted
I am intigued when Christians say that Satan was defeated by the cross and that Jesus has all authority, but add a "but". And usually it is a "big but" that suggests that Satan controls the earth until Jesus returns.
This is just an enormous disconnect. I do not see how you can put a "but" after the statement that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. If Satan is in control of this age, then we have to say that Jesus only has authority in heaven and that he will only get it on earth when he returns. The problem is that this is not what the scriputes teach.
When the church talks up Satan's power and talks down Jesus authority, we have a pretty serious problem.
Eph 6 talks about spiritual warfare, but not about being defeated. Rather it speaks about standing firm.
Satan might be a god to many of the people of this age, but that it a lie. The only way that he can retain power is by getting people to believe this lie. The sad thing is that most of the church have also been persuaded of the lie, too.
I am going to do a seperate post on the Wheat and the Tares.
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