Have you ever struggled with the frustration of sin?
Have you ever wondered:

• how is it that I am a "new creature in Christ" yet I still sin?
• how is it that I seek to put Jesus first yet I am still steeped in my own pride?
• how can I represent Jesus well in my daily occupation when I feel so inadequate to the task?

One day in the midst of such trials I cried out to the Lord for help!  His answer was immediate: "Peter, you are always trying to overcome the sin (of pride), but you have never overcome the author of the sin." In the following hours the Holy Spirit opened up the scriptures in a way that liberated me in the victory of the Cross ever since. If you would like to come with me on this journey you are invited to find a quiet space where you can contemplate a view of scripture as an angel would have seen it...

Rev 12:7-11 (NIV)

"And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
   "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
      and the authority of his Christ.
   For the accuser of our brothers,
      who accuses them before our God day and night,
      has been hurled down.
They overcame him
      by the blood of the Lamb
      and by the word of their testimony;
   they did not love their lives so much
      as to shrink from death.

The angels fought this war in heaven and the good side won (2/3 of the angelic battalions - Rev 12:4). Jesus also recounted that he saw this victory in heaven take place (Luke 10:18). He then came to earth to finish off the job down here (1 John 3:8-9).  The continuation of this war on earth was climaxed in Herod's attempt on the life of Jesus as a baby, through  the temptation in the wilderness, to the final battle at Calvary. Through Jesus subsequent resurrection we now know the devil as a defeated foe - just as long as we are not deceived again by the one who 'leads the whole world astray'.

Accordingly those in Christ are empowered to be overcomers by: 'the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony' (12:11).  In other words, as we receive the truth of the Word of God under the unction of the Holy Spirit we exercise the victory of the blood of Christ in our practical circumstances and speak this truth as an expression of our faith. This is the way we walk in the Victory of the Cross and this is what Jesus meant when he said: "then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

To fulfill our call to be 'great ambassadors' of the Kingdom of God in our sphere of influence we have to walk in the victory of the Cross (2 Cor 5:20). This has to be a growing edge in our discipleship if it is to become the cutting edge of our mission in everyday life.

How God uses the Devil for our Benefit

In Rev 12:10 we read:  "For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night..."  What then happens to these accusations that Satan (the accuser) brings against us?...  This scripture tells us that every one of our sins, every proud and rebellious thought and imperfect deed, PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE are conveyed by the enemy to the presence of God. So what does God do about it? Are we undone by our own petard?  How can both God's justice and mercy work for us under the burden of the accusations brought against us - much of it justified?

In Romans 15:3 we read:

"For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."

This scripture teaches us that the accusations brought against us by the devil in the courts of heaven - PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE - have fallen onto Jesus. In his identification with us and in his perfection he is the only one who can take our sins to the Cross. Rom 15:3 is not an isolated scripture with this truth, but is prophetically confirmed by Psalm 69:9 and 1 Peter 2:21-24. From this we see that God uses the devil to convey our sins from condemnation on earth to the courts of heaven to redemption on the Cross!

What happens to our sins post the Cross?

In Zechariah chapter 3 we read the only account in the Bible that tells us what happened between Jesus death and his resurrection. In 3:8-9 we are clearly told that the prophet is speaking of Jesus through the life of Joshua (Joshua in Hebrew translates to Jesus in the Greek). In this passage of scripture we find an incredibly precious view of the most important transaction that has ever been conducted or ever wil be conducted - taking place in hell (as stated in the Apostle's creed) - following Jesus death on the Cross:

"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?" Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you." Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by."

Whose filthy clothes was Jesus (Joshua) wearing?  Jesus took our sins from the accuser and wore them like filthy garments in the presence of God. You must see this if you want to be a producer of good fruit in the future. You must understand that your sins, past, present and future have already been delivered to the pits of hell and will remain there to eternity. This is the truth that sets us free from the guilt of accusation from the devil. This is the place where we stand in the victory of the Cross.

As Jesus had never sinned the devil could not lay a legal finger on him and so we read in Zech 3:4-5 how Jesus was stripped of our filthy clothes and crowned in hell as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, right in the presence of Satan. From this we can be sure that hell is the place where our sins reside and the crowning of Jesus is where we stand.  Hallelujah!

The scriptures tell us two other things about this incredible day:

1.     the resurrection power released on this unique day was so powerful that the earth shook, rocks split and many holy people who had died were raised to life and came out of their tombs and went into Jerusalem (Matt 27:50-53); and

2.     Jesus preached the gospel to those who were previously dead, setting the captives free and raising those who respond from captivity to death to emancipated life with God for eternity (Eph 4:7, 1 Peter 3:18-22, 1 Peter 4:6).

Living in the Victory

This is the same resurrection power of Jesus that is powerfully at work today... all over this planet more people are being delivered than ever before from death without hope to eternal life in Christ through the victory of the Cross!

No longer do we need to face the issues of our own mortality in our own strength. We are overcomers as we apply the power of the blood of Christ and the word of our testimony to every temptation, trial and circumstance in life - both for ourselves and through vicarious prayer for others.

So rise up brothers and sisters under the freedom, liberty and resurrection power of the Cross. Go forth to seek and to save that which is lost and contribute to bringing creation into the freedom of Jesus crucified and raised again (Luke 19:10, Romans 8:19-21).

Jesus will empower you by the Holy Spirit as you go forward fearlessly as a good witness of God's truth in the world (John 17:18).

This is our God. This is our Easter. This is our future.

Pete

Peter Kentley
Australian Marketplace Connections
airborne778@gmail.com