And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy Name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke 10:17,18
This was quite the scene of jubilation, as the 70 emissaries that the Lord Jesus had sent out to prepare communities for His arrival returned back to report to Him. In the past, they had seen so much suffering and harm inflicted on people by demons, and they had never been able to do anything about it. This time, though, they had gone forth in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and the demons had to flee before them. They had experienced many other wonders as well, including the ability to heal people with diseases. But it was the victory over the demons that had them so excited and rejoicing. The forces of evil had seemed so impossible to break before, but now they knew victory in Jesus’ Name. As He entered into their joy, the Lord Jesus would remind these 70 emissaries that not only were the demons defeated, but their captain, Satan, was defeated as well. And He told them of seeing it happen. We can rejoice today, too, to be reminded that our evil enemy is already defeated.
Does it look like the devil is defeated when his work goes on all around us at a frantic pace? Evil appears to be increasing. Consider a recent Irish plebiscite, in which the people of that nation voted overwhelmingly to approve that for which God rained down fire and brimstone on the cities of the plain. If God does not bring harsh judgment on Ireland, and all other countries that have legitimized same-sex marriages, He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. Consider the success that the devil has had in destroying family structures in our society, in having the Word of God removed from schools and other public institutions. He has also succeeded in many different areas, such as the destruction of human lives in wars, drug abuse, and the proliferation of cults and other false religions. One of the devil’s biggest success stories is instilling a spirit of apathy toward God and His salvation so that very few people around us respond with anything but a shrug when presented with the Gospel. Our world certainly shows little sign that the devil is defeated. But he is, and his activity today is merely desperation because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12).
The Lord Jesus spoke of seeing Satan falling from Heaven. He was referring to a time when Lucifer, the son of the morning, the brightest and most powerful of all created beings, was lifted up in pride in his desire to be like God, and was flung down (Isaiah 14:12,13). That was a great defeat for Satan. But an even greater defeat occurred when he failed to convince the Lord Jesus to bow to him during the temptation in the wilderness. And at Calvary, the devil’s work of destroying souls suffered its mortal blow when death was swallowed up in the victory of the Lord Jesus. Satan’s ultimate humiliation and final defeat is yet to come. But come it will.
We have read the Book, and we know how Satan’s story ends. Let us rejoice today in his defeat. -Jim MacIntosh