The battle between good and evil has continued since satan fell and will continue until Jesus comes again. With all that is happening in the world, people are awakening to the fact that they are in a spiritual battle. The good news is Jesus defeated satan when He died for our sins on the cross and rose again. There will come a day when Jesus comes again and will destroy all evil for all eternity. But in the meantime, we are caught up in this cosmic battle for people’s souls.
The Apostle Paul writes about this battle. Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. [1] To win this battle, each believer must put on the whole armor of God and rely on Him.
Evil Spirits are No Match for Jesus
As the early church was persecuted, it spread out from Jerusalem. Believers took the Gospel with them but encountered people possessed by evil spirits. The enemy would oppose the expansion of the early church, but God’s people would move forward. With the power of God’s word, these believers would free people from the enemy’s power.
Acts 8: 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. 7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims.[2]
The power of God’s word is so great that the evil spirits left people they had possessed. To the scientific mind of today’s world, being possessed by evil spirits does not seem possible, yet it is. Satan is a master of deception, trying to prevent knowledge of this spiritual battle. If you don’t know you are in a battle, you won’t fight.
Jesus Came to Destroy Evil
1 John 3:8 But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.[3] One day God will end all evil, and the family of God will not be bothered again by these sinister forces. The winning side of this battle is God, no matter what seems to be happening in the world. The Lord knows the beginning to the end and has assured us victory.
The Apostle John tells us our defeated enemy satan and his minions will be thrown into the lake of fire forever. Revelation 20:10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. [4] Ultimately, the Lord and His followers win as our Lord triumphs over evil. Praise the Lord!
To learn about the battle between good and evil, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/empowered-near
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.