Evil is not unlimited...

The devil was told in Genesis that he was going to lose. He knew a Messiah would come, and had the idea that if he could kill Him, he would not be a loser. So he tempted the Jews to crucify the Son of God, but this had a contrary success to when he tempted Adam to eat of the tree. The first death he brought upon Adam ruined us, and the death he brought upon the second Adam, restored us. The first tree had a part in his triumph over the world. The second tree, or actually the ‘fruit’ hanging upon it, destroyed his power over us.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, (Jesus) Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14, NASB)

This enemy of God and man ruined his own kingdom while he attempted to confirm and enlarge it. He was defeated by his own plan that he thought would keep humanity under his chains, and deprive the Creator of His glory. What deeper plan could he have for his own security than to destroy the man who was God and bring this Redeemer to disgrace on a criminal’s cross?

However, the wisdom of God shone in the methods of Satan, even above this enemy’s suspicions. He did not imagine that we should be healed and purified by shed blood, made alive by death, crowned by a cross, advanced to the highest honor by the lowest humility, comforted by sorrows, glorified by disgrace, absolved by condemnation, and made rich by poverty.

Just as the sweetest honey came out of a dead lion, so also came the sweetest grace out of  the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and out of the heart of the living God. In wisdom, the Seed of the woman Eve was born to a virgin, brought forth in a stable, spent his days without any pomp and splendor, grew up in a carpenters shop with carpenter’s tools, then exposed to a horrible and disgraceful death — and He was the One who could pull down the gates of hell, subvert the kingdom of the devil, and be the hammer to break in pieces that power, which this enemy had so long exercised over the world! Jesus became the author of our life by being bound for a while in the chains of death, defeating the most malicious power by being a prisoner for us and the target of his rage and fury.

Thus is the wisdom of God seen in giving us ground to the surest confidence, and furnishing us with incentives to the greatest obedience, by the horrors of wrath, death and suffering of our Savior.

God is the sovereign cause of all. We remain empty and completely dependent on Him. Sin is defeated by faith in the One who defeated sin. As fallen sinners, our joy and life remain in His hands. We experience goodness by His grace and happiness in our emptiness because we now have His Spirit to fill us with all that we can hold of Him who died for us.

The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11)
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

These thoughts give me confidence that God is still wisely using the worst that the devil can come up with for His purposes. He defeated this enemy using the enemy’s own devices to destroy him. The daily news is only about those visible devices, but one day the headlines will declare the our Lord God has totally triumphed over evil.

PRAY: Jesus, these thoughts motivate me to pray with confidence that You are busy using all things for good on behalf of those who love You — that we might be transformed even further into Your likeness and that we “may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom we also shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:15) I am awed by Your wisdom and power and excited to see it unfold.