• Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Bulgarian-Translation
    • Chinese-Translation
    • Dutch-Translation
    • French-Translation
    • German-Translation
    • Hebrew-Translation
    • Italian-Translation
    • Portuguese-Translation
    • Russian-Translation
    • Spanish-Translation
    • Turkish-Translation
  • Are You Ready?
    • READY OR NOT...
    • The Rapture
    • The Good News!
    • For Our Muslim Friends
    • 22 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled From the Tanakh
    • Take the Quiz: Tanakh or Brit Hachadasha
    • Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
    • Jesus Is Not The Messiah
  • Interviews
    • MONSTER MIRROR Book
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
  • Journal
    • 2025 >
      • January 2025
      • February 2025
      • March 2025
      • April 2025
      • May 2025
      • *June 2025
    • 2024 >
      • January 2024
      • February 2024
      • March 2024
      • April 2024
      • May 2024
      • June 2024
      • July 2024
      • August 2024
      • September 2024
      • October 2024
      • November 2024
      • December 2024
    • 2023 >
      • January 2023
      • February 2023
      • March 2023
      • April 2023
      • May 2023
      • June 2023
      • July 2023
      • August 2023
      • September 2023
      • October 2023
      • November 2023
      • December 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • Where is David Berkowitz Now?
  • David Berkowitz's Life in Prison
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • Psychics, Mediums, & Yoga
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Atheists' Last Words
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Co-founder of Satanic Church...
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • Just Released Ministries
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Ministry Tools
  • Friends
  • Contact
  • Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Bulgarian-Translation
    • Chinese-Translation
    • Dutch-Translation
    • French-Translation
    • German-Translation
    • Hebrew-Translation
    • Italian-Translation
    • Portuguese-Translation
    • Russian-Translation
    • Spanish-Translation
    • Turkish-Translation
  • Are You Ready?
    • READY OR NOT...
    • The Rapture
    • The Good News!
    • For Our Muslim Friends
    • 22 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled From the Tanakh
    • Take the Quiz: Tanakh or Brit Hachadasha
    • Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
    • Jesus Is Not The Messiah
  • Interviews
    • MONSTER MIRROR Book
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
  • Journal
    • 2025 >
      • January 2025
      • February 2025
      • March 2025
      • April 2025
      • May 2025
      • *June 2025
    • 2024 >
      • January 2024
      • February 2024
      • March 2024
      • April 2024
      • May 2024
      • June 2024
      • July 2024
      • August 2024
      • September 2024
      • October 2024
      • November 2024
      • December 2024
    • 2023 >
      • January 2023
      • February 2023
      • March 2023
      • April 2023
      • May 2023
      • June 2023
      • July 2023
      • August 2023
      • September 2023
      • October 2023
      • November 2023
      • December 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • Where is David Berkowitz Now?
  • David Berkowitz's Life in Prison
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • Psychics, Mediums, & Yoga
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Atheists' Last Words
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Co-founder of Satanic Church...
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • Just Released Ministries
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Ministry Tools
  • Friends
  • Contact
AriseandShine.org

September 2020

Defeated

9/4/2020

 
Now thanks be unto God, which always 
​
causes us to triumph in Christ...
2 Corinthians 2:14


The Bible declares Christ's defeat over the devil... ​
Yet for the Christian, the devil still remains a formidable foe to be reckoned with. As the Scripture clearly states, "Be alert and vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfastly in the faith..." (I Peter 5:8-9).

While in another Scripture passage, the Holy Spirit, speaking through the pen of the apostle Paul, tells us to always have on the full armor of God. Why? Because we are in a spiritual wrestling match against the rulers of evil, and we must battle against "wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:10-18).

In Paul's letter to the Ephesian church, he lists all the necessary armor that a disciple of Christ must wear in order to successfully withstand his opponent. And while the "battle belongs to the Lord," as we Christians often like to say, the fact is, we are to stand alongside Him until the victory is won.

To some, this may sound like a paradox. If Christ has already defeated the devil, which He has, then why do we have to stand against him? I've read various commentaries on the subject. Even scholars of the Bible have differing views. My personal thought, however, is that since the devil has not as of yet been confined to what the Bible refers to as the Abyss, also known as "the bottomless pit," and still has limited freedom to roam the earth and cause harm to mankind, Christ has afforded His church the opportunity to join with Him by engaging in spiritual warfare against the forces of Satan.

It's not that the Lord needs us, as He could easily defeat the devil all by Himself, and scripturally He already has. But Christ, who had foreknowledge of us even before the world began, decided to allow His disciples to be participants in the universal defeat of evil.

Jesus himself has chosen those who believe in Him to be partakers of this marvelous honor. He has given to the Church, the "bride of Christ," the role of joining Him in the fight. While He has likewise given us the responsibility of telling the world about the life transforming Gospel, how Christ died for our sins. That He has risen from the grave, thereby defeating death, along with taking upon Himself the eternal punishment that we deserved for those sins.

For now, however, because we live in fleshly bodies which are so easily prone to sin and sickness, the Lord has furnished us with everything we need to withstand our adversary and resist his temptations. He has likewise given us, through the Holy Spirit, the power and authority to put the devil to flight. 

As the disciples of Messiah Jesus, we need never fear the devil, but we do need to resist him by standing firm in our faith, while having on the "full armor of God." This should include a wise knowledge and skillful use of the Scriptures.

The victory belongs to Jesus, alone. Yet, through the graciousness of our God, He has allowed for the church to share in His glorious triumph over wicked Lucifer.

D.B.

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Author

    David Berkowitz
    Copyright © AriseandShine.org