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“He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” 1 John 2:2

When Jesus gave up His life on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” What was finished, exactly? The war. For individuals and the whole universe. This was the final sacrifice, patterned (but always insufficient) since the Garden of Eden to atone for the first sins of mankind. See, at the beginning of human history, war was declared. The perfection of the created world began its decay. And the perfect relationship between God and mankind was broken—sin had come on the scene, and our enemy, Satan, became our formidable foe (Genesis 3).

But when God sent His beloved Son to live the perfect life we could not live, die the death we deserved, and be resurrected in victory over sin and death, the final, once-and-for-all justification was made. The Great Exchange—His righteousness for our sin, His wounds for our healing, His death for our eternal life. Our debt was settled. And our enemy, Satan, was completely defeated.

And when we accept this gift of grace—Jesus’ work on the cross—through faith, we are made free (Galatians 5:1). We are no longer trapped by the shackles of sin, but are made alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Our broken relationship with God has been reconciled through Christ, and we have peace with God. We live under grace, and our new desire is to live in the righteousness credited to us. In gratefulness—and by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us—we walk in holiness and love, reflecting Jesus and glorifying God in all things.

Until we don’t. Even though we walk in spiritual freedom, and we’re wrapped in the righteousness of Christ, we are walking through this world in an unredeemed body of flesh. And although the ultimate war is won, until we are out of this body, we will be fighting a battle between sin and holiness. We’ll keep doing things we don’t want to do and not doing things we want to do (Romans 7:14-25).

What about the world? It sure seems like Satan is winning—just watch the news for a minute. If the war has been won, why does the whole world seem embattled in darkness, with the enemy taking more and more ground on a daily basis? Because, for now, Satan is the god of this world and the world’s systems. God is Sovereign, and He has Satan on a short leash…but he (Satan) is currently loose, prowling around like a devouring lion, seeking only to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8).

It can all seem like a real bummer. But there’s good news, Christian! Yes, as we walk toward Home in this fleshly body, we’ll be battling the desires of the flesh. But, praise God, we become more and more like Jesus along the way, when we walk according to the Holy Spirit. In the battles of our soul, we will experience greater and greater victories as we move toward the fulfillment of the Final Triumph.

Ah, what about the world, which is clearly entrenched in evil? Sadly, unlike our personal front, the global battlefield will only become bloodier and darker at the hands of our adversary as time marches onward. We’ll see glimpses of light (in fact, we believers are to be that light!), but the trajectory is decay and decline.

But Jesus is coming back. Soon. And when He does, it will be in power and great glory (Luke 21:25-28), as King of kings, Lord of lords. With eyes of fire, leading the armies of heaven, He will return for the final battle that ends the war forever. Satan will be finished (eternally suffering in fire), there will be a new heaven and new earth (perfect once again), and our sin, pain, and mourning—all gone. Our personal battles are temporary, and so is the darkness and evil of this world. So, take heart, believer, the war is almost over.

“Lord, remind me daily—through my personal battles with sin and while watching the enemy’s global battlefield—that You have already been victorious. It is done and You have won.”

 For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life