The Cross of Christ - Chapter 9

In this section of his book, The Cross of Christ, John Stott has been reviewing the achievements of the cross. Chapter 7 looked at "The Salvation of Sinners", Chapter 8 at "The Revelation of God" and this chapter explores "The Conquest of Evil." Understanding the magnitude and ramifications of Christ's victory in this area is crucial to Christian sanctification. These truths are for those who have repented of their sin against an infinitely holy God ("turned to God from sin") and placed their faith, their trust completely in Christ's work on the cross. Only by being spiritually united to Him, being "in Christ", can these four aspects of the
                                                      power of evil be broken.
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"The Conquest of Evil" 

At the cross Jesus disarmed and triumphed over the devil, and all the 'principalities and powers' at his command. (Col.2:15) ... The victory of Christians, therefore, consists of entering into the victory of Christ and of enjoying its benefits.

Though the devil has been defeated, he has not yet conceded defeat. Although he has been overthrown, he has not yet been eliminated. ... Already the kingdom of God has been inaugurated and is advancing; not yet has it been consummated. Already the new age (the age to come) has come, so that we have 'tasted... the powers of the coming age'; not yet has the old age completely passed away. Already we are God's sons and daughters, and no longer slaves; not yet have we entered 'the glorious freedom of the children of God'. (Heb.6:5; 1Jn.2:8; Rom.8:21)

The 'reason why the Son of God appeared was that he might "undo" or "do away with" the works of the devil'. (1Jn.3:8, literally) ... The four 'works of the devil' from which Christ frees us ... are the law, the flesh, the world and death.

First, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of the law.
It comes to many people as a surprise that the law, God's good gift to his people, in itself 'holy, righteous and good', could ever become a tyrant which enslaves us. The reason is that the law condemns our disobedience and so brings us under its 'curse' or judgment. But Christ has redeemed us from the law's curse by becoming a curse for us.... The law no longer enslaves us by its condemnation. (Gal.3:13)

Secondly, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of the flesh.
What Paul means by the 'flesh' (Greek sarx) is our fallen nature or unredeemed humanity, everything that we are by birth, inheritance and upbringing before Christ renewed us. Because our 'flesh' is our 'self' in Adam, its characteristic is self-centredness. ... Living this kind of life, we were 'enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures'. As Jesus himself said, 'everyone who sins is a slave to sin'. But he immediately added: 'if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed'. (Jn.8:34-36)  And freedom from our fallen nature and its selfishness comes through the cross. (Gal.5:19-21; Titus 3:3; Rom.6:6)

Thirdly, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of the world.
...the world is the means through which (Satan) exerts pressure upon us from without. (2Cor.4:4; 1Jn.5:19) The 'world' in this context means godless human society, whose hostility to the church is expressed now by open ridicule and persecution, now by subtle subversion, the infiltration of its values and standards. John declares outspokenly that love for the world and love for the Father are mutually exclusive. (1Jn.2:15)

It is when we believe in Jesus Christ that our values change. We no longer conform to the world's values, but find instead that we are being transformed by our renewed mind which grasps and approves the will of God. And nothing weans us from worldliness more than the cross of Christ. (Rom.12:1-2; Gal.6:14)

Fourthly, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of death.

Jesus Christ is able to set free even those who all their lives have been 'held in slavery by their fear of death'. This is because by his own death he has 'destroyed' (deprived of power) 'him who holds the power of death - that is the devil'. (Heb.2:14-15)

It is by dealing with sin that he has dealt with death. For sin is the 'sting' of death, the main reason why death is painful and poisonous. It is sin which causes death, and which after death will bring the judgment. Hence our fear of it. But Christ has died for our sins and taken them away... Now that we are forgiven, death can harm us no longer. (1 Cor.15:55-56)

What, then, should be the Christian's attitude to death? It is still an enemy, unnatural, unpleasant and undignified - in fact 'the last enemy to be destroyed'. Yet, it is a defeated enemy. Because Christ has taken away our sins, death has lot its power to harm and therefore to terrify. Jesus summed it up in one of his greatest affirmations: 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.' That is, Jesus is the resurrection of believers who die, and the life of believers who live. His promise to the former is 'you will live', meaning not just that you will survive, but that you will be resurrected. His promise to the latter is 'you will never die', meaning not that you will escape death, but that death will prove to be a trivial episode, a transition to fullness of life.

[Challies' review of Chapter 9]
[Excerpts: Chapter 1; Chapter 10]