1 John 3:8, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
The name devil here can mean accuser or slanderer.
The Greek word is diablos.
- prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely
- a calumniator, false accuser, slanderer
In the King James authorized version (AV), the word “destroy” or “lyō” has the following occurrences as these English words:loose 27, break 5, unloose 3, destroy 2, dissolve 2, put off 1, melt 1, break up 1, break down 1.
“Destroy” which is used here is only used twice. Although “loose” is used 27 times. So, Jesus “loosed” the works of the accuser or slander, but how?
Col. 2:13-15 indicate how as do other scriptures. Verse 14 says, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
Heb. 10:10 (NIV) says, “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
When Adam and his wife received the knowledge of good and evil from the devil they were unable to redeem themselves from the power of this knowledge. Their conscience witnessed their self-condemnation based on the law that was written in their heart. The law in their heart said, “Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” They could not escape the witnessing of their conscience because there was not sacrifice for sin yet. In this case, grace was used as an occasion to the flesh and did not have to. Grace was there to say, “No to ungodliness,” but was not manifested. Adam, out of fear, in his self-strength, sewed a fig leaf to cover his shame. God, in His goodness, made coats of skin for Adam and his wife. This was a shadow or pattern of the redemption to come, Gen. 3:21, Heb. 9:22.
Heb. 2:14-15 (NIV) says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Christ nailed in His body the judgment and penalty of the law for the Church. He took all condemnation upon Himself for the Church. We can no longer be condemned, judged, accused by the enemy based on the law or self-imposed law because we are loosed from the devil’s authority by the power of God and Christ’s resurrection and forgiveness.
In Christ, any thought of accusation, judgment or condemnation thrown towards me is powerless because of the absolute forgiveness of God through Christ. If I accuse, slander or condemn myself then I am not loving myself as God loves me. I do not know who I am. If I love myself with God’s love the motive to self-judge is gone in Christ.
Paul says in Phil. 3:13, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
The long Greek word for ‘forgetting those things which are behind’ is epilanthanomai.
It means to intensely, willfully forget or even give to oblivion.
So, when the devil attempts to throw accusation, slander or condemnation my way I have spiritual amnesia from those thoughts in Christ, 2 Cor. 10:5.
This creates and gives great life, peace and liberty to my mind and life. Isn’t this what Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”
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