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Introduction:

Victory or defeat to a nation means the difference between having the life it chooses or a life of subjugation its enemies impose upon it. When a nation is weak, it is unable to overcome its enemies itself. Its only hope for victory and freedom from its enemies is a strong ally who will come to its rescue and deliver it.

The devil is the archenemy of us all. We ourselves are not strong enough to defeat him and free ourselves from him. To gain the victory over him we need a deliverer who will defeat him for us and free us from him forever.

Focus:

The aim of this lesson is to grow spiritually in the hope and confidence of the devil’s defeat, as we learn how he was defeated for us and what his ultimate defeat will be for all eternity.

Searching the Scriptures:

1. In this first section of this study we will discover the first thing that defeated the devil and freed us from him and the punishment of hell that he had brought on us.

Adam was the first man who represented the human race in the battle against the devil and sin. The devil won that first battle, as we are told in Genesis 3:1-7.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Is it even so that God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’ ”
Genesis 3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
Genesis 3:3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it and you shall not touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Genesis 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die.
Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and the tree was desirable for gaining understanding, then she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave it also to her husband with her and he ate.
Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made aprons for themselves.

Adam’s defeat and fall into sin affected us all. The apostle Paul detailed the tragic results Adam’s sin had on all of us in Romans 5:12-19 below. Because of Adam’s sin, verse 19 states we were all made sinners. Verses 12, 15, & 17 declare death came to us all. And verses 16 & 18 declare condemnation came upon us all.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as by one man the sin entered into the world and the death by the sin, even so the death passed through to all men because all sinned –
Romans 5:13 For before law sin was in the world, but sin is not charged to one when there is no law;
Romans 5:14 and yet the death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of him who was to come.
Romans 5:15 But the gift of divine grace is not like the transgression; for if by the transgression of the one man the many died, by much more the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ was present in abundance to the many!
Romans 5:16 And the gift is not like what resulted through the one man who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment resulting in condemnation followed one transgression, but on the other hand the gift of divine grace resulting in a verdict of acquittal followed many transgressions.
Romans 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one man the death reigned through the one man, by much more those who received the abundance of grace and the free gift of the righteousness will reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ!
Romans 5:18 So then, as by the transgression of one man – a sentence of damnation for all men, so also by the righteous deed of one man – an acquittal that brings life for all men.
Romans 5:19 For as by the disobedience of the one man the many were declared sinners, so also by the obedience of the one the many will be declared righteous.

Jesus Christ was the second man to represent the human race, as Paul explained in Romans 5:12-19 above. In our behalf he entered the great battle against the devil and sin to give us righteousness and eternal life. Luke 4:1-13 below describes one of the battles Jesus fought for forty days in the wilderness against the devil. That was not the only battle Jesus fought against the devil for us. Verse 13 clarifies that the devil attacked him at opportune times throughout his ministry.

Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was being led by the Spirit in the wilderness
Luke 4:2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days, and when they were ended, he was hungry.
Luke 4:3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone that it should become bread.”
Luke 4:4 And Jesus replied to him, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE’ ”
Luke 4:5 And when he had led him up to a higher place, he showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in a moment of time.
Luke 4:6 And the devil said to him, “I will give you all this jurisdiction and their glory, because it was handed over to me and I can give it to whomever I wish.
Luke 4:7 Therefore you, if you bow down in worship before me, all these things will be yours.”
Luke 4:8 And when Jesus answered, he said to him, “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY SHALL YOU SERVE.’ ”
Luke 4:9 Then he lead him into Jerusalem and stood him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
Luke 4:10 for it is written: HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,
Luke 4:11 and that; THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP IN THEIR HANDS, SO YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.”
Luke 4:12 And when Jesus answered, he said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’ ”
Luke 4:13 And after the devil finished every temptation, he withdrew from him until a favorable time.

Christ Jesus our Savior did not fight against the devil with his divine powers as the Son of God. He fought as our human substitute using the full armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-18 below. His one offensive weapon was the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Armed with the armor of God and the sword of the Spirit he won the battle with the devil.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his strength.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so you are able to stand up against the schemes of the devil;
Ephesians 6:12 because our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and after you have done everything, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm then, HAVING GIRDED YOUR WAIST WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
Ephesians 6:15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE,
Ephesians 6:16 in addition to everything, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and supplication pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in mind, be on the alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

The result Christ’s victory has brought to us all was described in Romans 5:15-19 above. Verses 16 & 19 clarify that his perfect life brought us justification, that is God’s declaration of righteousness. And verse 17 declares his righteousness brought us eternal life.

To summarize what we have learned in this first section of this Bible study, Jesus’ active obedience of living a righteous life and resisting the devil’s temptations as our substitute defeated the devil for us and freed us from the devil and the punishment of hell that he had brought upon us through sin.

2. In this second section of this study we will discover the second thing that defeated the devil and freed us from him and the punishment of hell that he had brought upon us.

Hebrews 2:14,15 below teaches us that Jesus defeated and overcame the devil by giving himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His death on the cross destroyed the devil, who had held us in the bondage of the fear of death and eternal destruction in hell.

Hebrews 2:14 Since then the children have flesh and blood, he himself also in just the same way partook of the same, in order that by means of death he might do away with him who holds the power of death, that is the devil,
Hebrews 2:15 and free those who were subject to slavery by a fear of death through all of life.

To summarize what we have learned in this second section of this Bible study, Jesus’ passive obedience of suffering on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins also defeated the devil for us and freed us from the devil and the punishment of hell that he had brought upon us through sin.

3. In this third section of this study we will discover in Revelation 12:7-11 what the devil’s defeat deprived him of. We will also see what insures our victory over him.

Revelation 12:7 And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war,
Revelation 12:8 but he did not have the strength to win, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the ancient serpent, the one who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole inhabited earth – he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers was thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life up to death.

According to Revelation 12:7-11, while Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross were defeating the devil, an additional battle was being waged in heaven against the devil and his angels by the archangel Michael and the holy angels of God. Michael and the holy angels won that battle and defeated the devil and his angels. Having been defeated, the devil and his angels were cast out of heaven and down to earth. Verse 10 clarifies that with the devil’s defeat the salvation and power and kingdom of God, and the power and authority of Christ over all, were made a reality. Verse 10 also declares that having been defeated, the devil can no longer stand before God to accuse us believers of our sins. The reason? Jesus’ death on the cross atoned for our sins.

Verse 11 tells us there are two things that insure our victory over the devil. First, the atoning blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross for our sins. Second, the word of our testimony, that is our confession of faith in Jesus, which we make even when being persecuted rather than denying him when facing death.

To summarize what we have learned in this third section of this Bible study, the devil’s defeat deprived him of being able to stand before God in heaven and accuse us believers in Jesus of our sins. He can no longer demand that God punish us eternally in hell with him. What insures our victory over the devil is Jesus’ atoning blood that he shed on the cross for our sins and our confession of faith in him.

4. In this fourth section of this study we will discover what is the present state of the devil and his angels and what will be their final defeat.

Jude 6 informs us that the devil’s present state of existence is in hell with his evil angels. There they are being kept in darkness and bound in everlasting chains for their final day of judgment on the last day.

Jude 6: . . . and angels, who did not keep their sphere of authority but deserted their own habitation, he has kept in everlasting bonds under the darkness of hell for judgment on the great Day.

1 Peter 3:19 tells us that the devil and his angels are bound in prison, that is hell, where the exalted Christ Jesus descended to proclaim his victory over them.

1Peter 3:19: . . . in which he went and preached to those in prison, . . .

2 Peter 2:4 confirms what we learned in the two previous verses. The devil and his angels have been sent to hell, where they are being held in gloomy dungeons for their final judgment and ultimate defeat.

2 Peter 2:4: For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but handed them over for judgment, holding them in chains of darkness in hell; . . .

We might wonder how the devil and his angels feel about the Lord having bound them in hell for the judgment that is to come to them. The following passages provide some insights.

From Luke 8:30, 31 we learn the devil and his angels have no desire to be condemned to the abyss of hell where they will be tormented.

Luke 8:30 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” and he said, “Legion,” became many demons had entered into him.
Luke 8:31 And they kept imploring him that he should not command them to go away into the abyss.

James 2:19 reveals the devil and his angels know God and shudder. They shudder because they fear his wrath and punishment, which they will experience in the abyss of hell.

James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe this and shudder!

The following verses reveal who will be the judge who condemns the devil and his angels to the abyss of hell.

John 5:22 and Matthew 25:31,41 clarify that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge them.

John 5:22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but has given all judgment to the Son, . . .

Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his throne of glory; . . .
Matthew 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire that has been kept in readiness for the devil and his angels.’ ”

1 Corinthians 6:2, 3 states that we believers in Jesus will also judge the fallen angels.

1Corinthians 6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you incompetent for serving as trivial courts of law?
1Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels, not to speak of matters of daily life?

Matthew 13:37-42 informs us who the executioners will be who will carry out the sentence of condemnation on the condemned. They will be God’s holy angels. As the holy angels will gather up the unbelievers of this world who rejected Jesus Christ and who belong to the devil, so they will gather up the devil and his evil angels and cast them into the fiery furnace, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. As the holy angels defeated the devil and his angels in the battle for heaven and cast them down to earth, so the holy angels will cast the devil and his angels into the fires of hell.

Matthew 13:37 So answering, he said, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man;
Matthew 13:38 and the field is the world; now the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; but the weeds are the sons of the evil one,
Matthew 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; now the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Matthew 13:40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all that causes sin and those who commit lawlessness,
Matthew 13:42 and they will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 20:7-10 reveals the devil will try to win the final victory over Christ’s church of believers and destroy the church once and for all. To do so he will gather the nations of the world in a great battle against the church. But according to verses 9 & 10, the day the devil has chosen to destroy the church is the last day. Instead of the devil winning a great final victory over the church that day, he himself and all his ungodly forces will be defeated forever. Then he and his evil angels will be cast into the lake of burning sulfur, which is called the eternal fire in Matthew 25:41, to suffer their ultimate defeat and torment day and night forever.

Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are come to an end, Satan will be released from his prison,
Revelation 20:8 and he will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the battle; whose number is like the sand of the seashore.
Revelation 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth and they surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down out of heaven and devoured them.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Matthew 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire that has been kept in readiness for the devil and his angels.”

The fire of hell is eternal. It never lets up or is quenched. It torments the condemned night and day forever. There is no relief from hell’s fiery torment or escape. The condemned do not even have the hope of being annihilated that they may escape hell’s torment. Mark 9:47, 48 clarifies the condemned are not annihilated but exist forever in the fire of hell that is never quenched. So it will be for the devil and his evil angels also. They will always exist to suffer the fiery torment without let up forever.

Mark 9:47, And if your eye causes you to stumble into sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell,
Mark 9:48 where ‘THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.’

The devil and his evil angels have no chance of being saved from hell’s fire. True, they were created holy angels, who afterwards fell into sin, just like the human race was created holy and afterwards fell into sin. But while there is a salvation for us fallen humans, there is no salvation for the fallen angels. The reason being, Christ did not redeem the fallen angels. Hebrews 2:14-16 clarifies this.

Hebrews 2:14 Since then the children have flesh and blood, he himself also in just the same way partook of the same, in order that by means of death he might do away with him who holds the power of death, that is the devil,
Hebrews 2:15 and free those who were subject to slavery by a fear of death through all of life.
Hebrews 2:16 For surely he does not help angels, but he helps the descendants of Abraham.

The devil knows about his day of coming judgment and of his ultimate defeat in hell. This is why, as Revelation 12:12 states, he is filled with fury. He knows his time is short and the day of his final judgment and defeat is coming quickly. For this same reason he is described as a furious, roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8, who is intent on destroying as many as he can while he can in the time he has left.

Revelation 12:12 For this reason rejoice, O heavens and those who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you. He is filled with an intense rage, because he knows he has only a short time.

1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled, alert! Your enemy the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

To summarize what we have learned in this fourth section of this Bible study, the devil and his angels are now kept in hell for their final judgment when they will be cast into the eternal lake of fire to suffer torment forever and ever. The devil knows this and is outraged because of it.

Applying the Scriptures:

1. Christ defeated the devil as our human substitute. He was armed only with the armor God has given us to defeat the devil with. List the pieces of armor we have to fight off the devil’s schemes and temptations. See Ephesians 6:10-18.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

2. What hope do you gain from this lesson on the devil’s defeat?
a. As far as salvation and freedom?
b. As far as being accused of your sins and punished in hell for them?
c. As far as the devil and his angels being able to trouble and torment you forever.

3. Does our confession of faith in Christ Jesus play an important part in our overcoming the devil and defeating him? Consider Rev. 12:11.