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The indwelling life (zoe) of Jesus Christ provides the New Testament church with an immovable foundation from which to “stand firm” against every scheme of the devil. His living presence is the source of incomparable power.
Accusation Satan has limited authority over the degenerated earth. He presently and temporarily holds the legal titles “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31) and “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). According to the Apostle John, “… the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) From his position of limited authority, Satan accuses mankind of the transgression of the law. As illustrated in the Bible, he is an accuser. (cf. Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5; Zechariah 3:1-2; Revelation 12:10) Satan has the legal right to accuse the fallen of sin. They are indeed transgressors of the law. Thus, satanic accusation has merit in the unbelieving world. False Accusation In distinct contrast to his limited authority over the degenerated earth and its fallen inhabitants, Satan has no authority over the New Testament church. Nevertheless, it is of utmost importance to him that the church believes he retains authority. It provides his accusations of transgression with an appearance of truthfulness. To stand firm against such deceptive accusations by the indwelling life (zoe) of Christ, the New Testament church must be ever cognizant that accusation by the devil and his angels is without validity. The redemptive work of Jesus Christ removed it. By Christ’s work, the ecclesia of God was justified from all transgression of law; past, present, and future; released from the jurisdiction or dominion of the rule of law (law of sin and of death); and rescued from the domain of satanic authority. Justified from sin, it has no guilt by which Satan can rightfully accuse it of transgression. Released from the jurisdiction or dominion of the rule of law, Satan has no means to accuse the church of transgression have been eliminated. Rescued from the domain of satanic authority, Satan has no authority to accuse the church of transgression. As a result, every satanic accusation of the transgression of the law is false. Even so, the devil understands the destructive power of false accusation. He recognizes that false guilt can be as debilitating and damaging as actual guilt. Therefore, Satan schemes to entrap, debilitate and paralyze the New Testament church by false guilt. The accusations of Satan appear to have merit only when the New Testament church chooses to believe that he remains in a position of authority. The resultant presumption of guilt by the church has the potential to significantly weaken its effectiveness on earth. Although it is false guilt, it can hinder its ministry and, in appearance at least, moderate its ability to vindicate the nature of God. The satanic accusation of the unbeliever is legitimate. However, his accusation of the believer is not: |
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Satan has assaulted the New Testament church with false accusations since its inception on earth. Understanding that “the best defense is a good offense,” his accusations are often unrelenting. The outcome can be debilitating for those who are ignorant about the falsehood of satanic accusations. Concordant with the satanic scheme, they can become so consumed with the darkness that they cannot see the Light.
Abused by false accusation and guilt, the ignorant typically overlook the divine foundation for eternal warfare. Therefore, they fail to recognize that the living presence of Jesus Christ within is the source of perfect victory and incomparable power and the means by which they can stand firm against every accusation and scheme of the devil. By the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the satanic accusation of the New Testament church was rendered powerless. He provided His ecclesia with justification from all transgression of the law, release from the jurisdiction of the rule of law (law of sin and of death), and rescue from the domain of satanic authority. Without power, the false accusations of Satan are meaningless. Justification Relative to the essential biblical doctrine of justification by grace through faith alone, the New Testament church was graciously forgiven of all transgression of divine law; past, present, and future, and declared righteous by the standard of divine law. Its justification from sin was absolute, an unconditional benefit of the redemptive Eternal Covenant. Divinely justified from sin, the New Testament church forever shares the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is “holy and blameless and above reproach” regarding every demand of the rule of law. (Ephesians 1:4; 5:27; Colossians 1:22, NKJV) As a consequence, it is beyond accusation. Relative to its justification from sin, there is no debt of transgression remaining for which the New Testament church can be accused. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14) According to the Apostle Paul, every transgression of the rule of law has been documented for the entire human race. Paul referred to the documentation as a “certificate of debt.” (Colossians 2:14) Providing an indisputable record of fallen status and a lifetime of corresponding fallen practice, the “certificate of debt” consists of “decrees against” every person that is “hostile” to them. The decrees are hostile because they establish an indefensible, legal basis for divine judgment and condemnation. The Apostle, however, indicated that the “certificate of debt” was “canceled out.” It was utterly erased or obliterated when it was “nailed to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14) Therefore, there is no further record of transgression by the New Testament church, individually or collectively. It was paid in full by the blood of the Eternal Covenant. By the grace of God alone, the distinct church of the New Testament was absolutely and unconditionally justified from all sin. Its “certificate of debt” canceled (erased or obliterated), there is no record of transgression remaining by which Satan can legitimately accuse it of the transgression of the law. Thus, his accusations of the church are unlawful. They are "invalid" or “without foundation or force in fact, truth, or law.”[1] Fully justified, the New Testament church is free from condemnation related to the guilt of sin (Romans 8:1). Scripturally speaking, it has no guilt remaining of which it can be accused. |
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Release
Justified from all transgression of the law and delivered from its penalty and debt, the distinct church of the New Testament was necessarily “released” from the jurisdiction (sphere of authority) of the rule of law (law of sin and of death). “Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction (kurieuo; ko-ree-yoo'-o; “dominion”) over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. (Romans 7:1-3; cf. 7:4-6) According to the Apostle Paul, release from the jurisdiction of the rule of law necessitates death. Thus, like the married woman in his illustration, the New Testament church had to die to the sphere of authority of the rule of law. The release of the New Testament church from the jurisdiction of the rule of law was fulfilled by the sacrificial death of Christ. The church shared the benefit of His death by co-crucifixion. (Romans 6:3-7, 7:1-6; Galatians 2:20) As a result, it died to the “law through the body of Christ.” (Romans 7:4) The New Testament church was not left for dead. If so, the eternal plan of God to vindicate His nature would have remained unfulfilled. Therefore, the death of the New Testament church necessitated its resurrection to new life. It died with Christ so that it could be “…joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead.” (Romans 7:4) Resurrected to new life with Christ, the New Testament church could be released from the rule of law, the ministry of death and condemnation. (2 Corinthians 3:7, 9) The ecclesia of God was not provided with new life capable of satisfying the righteous requirement of the rule of law, but life (zoe) in which the righteous requirement of the rule of law had already been satisfied. (Romans 8:4) Co-resurrected to new life with Christ, the righteous requirement of the rule of law was fulfilled in the New Testament church. Consequently, it could be released from subjection to the rule of law and, instead, obligated to God according to the gracious rule of indwelling life (zoe). Rather than burdened with the impossible task of fulfilling the rule of law for God, the New Testament church was intimately united to Christ by means of shared life. Consequently, it exists under the gracious rule of His indwelling life (zoe) and as a result, can “serve in newness of the Spirit” and “bear fruit for God.” (7:4, 6) “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:4-6) By death and resurrection with Christ, the believer was released from the jurisdiction, dominion, or sphere of authority of the rule of law (law of sin and of death) and raised to the sphere of His authority under the rule of His indwelling life (zoe). As a result, the believer’s sin nature was dethroned. It was rendered powerless to control or condemn. Therefore, Satan does not have the means to accuse the New Testament church of the transgression of the rule of law. |
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Rescue
In accord with the judgment of God at the First Coming of Jesus Christ, Satan’s present status is but a distant shadow of the former glory he once enjoyed. (John 16:11) Rather than ruling the pristine, original heavens and earth, he now presides over the degenerated heavens and earth or the “domain of darkness.” It is characterized not only by darkness but death and degeneration. By eternal design, the New Testament church co-exists on the degenerated earth amid fallen mankind. In contrast to the fallen residents of the earth, however, its members are not subject to satanic authority. Not only has the New Testament church been justified from all sin and released from the rule of law (law of sin and of death), but rescued from the “domain of darkness” or realm of satanic authority. The Lord Jesus provided revelation in the gospels. He said,“…how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” (Matthew 12:29) The “strong man” of reference is Satan. His “house” or “abode” oikia (oy-kee'-ah) is the realm of his authority, the fallen heavens, and earth, the “domain of darkness.” The redemptive work of Jesus Christ served as the means by which the “strong man” was bound, and his “household” (those subject to his authority) “plundered” or rescued. The Apostle Paul presented additional detail in his epistle to the Colossians. Congruent with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, he elaborated that the elect of the New Testament church were “rescued…from the domain of darkness (the realm of satanic authority), and transferred…to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (the realm of divine authority). (Colossians 1:13-14) Thus, they were removed from the realm of satanic authority by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and transferred to the realm of divine authority. Transferred into the kingdom of God (the realm of divine authority), the elect of the New Testament church are no longer citizens of the “domain of darkness” and, therefore, not subject to satanic authority. Although they temporarily exist on the degenerated earth, their “citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20) Consequently, the members of the New Testament church are “strangers and pilgrims” on earth. (Hebrews 11:13) Nevertheless, under the darkness of his earthly domain, Satan works with all fervency to influence the ecclesia of God to believe that it remains subject to his authority. Persuaded as such, the church remains “in the dark” about its divine rescue. By the grace of God, the New Testament church was once and for all “rescued” from the realm of satanic authority, the “domain of darkness,” and “transferred” to the kingdom of God, the realm of divine authority. Consequently, Satan has no authority to influence or harass the New Testament church and, therefore, does not have the legal right to accuse it of transgression. |
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In Summary
According to God's redemptive work in Christ, the New Testament church was justified, released, and rescued. Justified, it was unconditionally forgiven of all transgression of the rule of law; past, present, and future, and declared righteous regarding every demand of the rule of law. Therefore, no actual guilt remains by which Satan can rightfully accuse the New Testament church of transgression. Released, it was removed from the jurisdiction or sphere of authority of the rule of law (law of sin and of death). Therefore, there is no means remaining for Satan to accuse the New Testament church of transgression. Rescued, it was delivered from the domain of satanic authority, the “domain of darkness.” Therefore, Satan has no authority to accuse the New Testament church of transgression. By the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the New Testament church has no remaining guilt of transgression. Further, Satan has no means to accuse the church of transgression and no authority to accuse it. They were eliminated by the gracious, redemptive work of the Savior. As a result, Satan’s accusations of the New Testament church of sin or the transgression of law are unwarranted. They are utterly false. © 2022 James Hiatt |
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