THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS

THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS

Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians spelled it out as to exactly what Jesus did for us at the Cross. He said:

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (the Law), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross;

“And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:14–15).

Two things were here done:

1. The demands of a thrice Holy God were satisfied.

2. Satan was completely defeated.

Now let’s see how all of this was done.

The Law of God as given to Moses, sometimes referred to as “the Law of Moses,” proclaimed the Standard of Righteousness which God demanded of all men. Unfortunately, man in his depraved, fallen condition, could not live up to this Law, and no matter how hard he tried. In fact, in the entirety of these some 1,600 years of the Law, not one person succeeded in satisfying its demands, except Christ.

In fact, as it regards the moral Law (the Ten Commandments), it is still incumbent upon humanity, at least all who do not know the Lord. As stated, this is God’s Standard of Righteousness.

Unable to keep the Law, it condemned us, even as all Law must. In other words, it declared us guilty, and demanded the penalty, which was death (Rom. 6:23).

However, Jesus came as the “Last Adam,” referred to by Paul in that manner, because He would do what the first Adam did not do, and would as well do it so perfectly, that another would never be needed, hence Him being referred to as the “Last.”

He kept the Law perfectly in every respect, doing it all on our behalf, even as our Substitute. One might say that he did all of this as the “Representative Man” (I Cor. 15:45–50).

He not only kept the Law, and as stated, did so perfectly, but as well, He suffered its terrible penalty of death—all on our behalf.

When He did this, the price was paid, with the record that was against all of us, being completely and totally “blotted out.” The Scripture plainly says that He “nailed it to His Cross.”

Now we are seeing why the Cross is so very, very important.

This which He did satisfied the demands of a thrice Holy God. The Reader must understand, that the Cross was not carried out in order to satisfy the Devil, etc., but rather to satisfy the demands of God. It was either us die, which meant that we would never be raised from the dead, and because we were an imperfect sacrifice, or for God to become man, which He did, thereby taking our place.

However, having done this, what Jesus did at the Cross, also spelled defeat for Satan and all his henchmen.

Satan has a legal right to place man into captivity because of sin. But with all sin atoned, even as Jesus did at the Cross, Satan lost that right, at least as it regards those who will believe (Jn. 3:16).

In other words, Satan has no more legal right over me and because I am now “in Christ,” which means I have trusted Christ and what He did at the Cross on my behalf, which cleanses me from all sin. Sin being the means by which Satan holds men in captivity, with sin being gone and washed away, and by the precious Blood of Jesus, as stated, Satan has no more right.

As a result, this spoiled all principalities and powers, which refers to all demon spirits and fallen angels, which includes Satan as their federal head, with the Scripture plainly saying that Jesus “triumphed over them in it,” meaning, that what He did at the Cross totally defeated them.

So this means, that every single demon spirit is defeated, every fallen angel is defeated, even the mightiest of them and in totality are defeated, and above all, Satan as their federal head is defeated.

As we’ve said previously, the work which Jesus did at the Cross by the giving of Himself in Sacrifice, was actually a legal work. It satisfied the legal demands of a thrice Holy God. Man had committed a terrible crime, and that crime had to be addressed, with its penalty satisfied. It was satisfied in Christ.

All these things we’ve just said, are the reason that the Cross is the Source of all Victory, and of course, we are speaking of what Jesus there did. That’s the reason our Faith must ever be in the Cross. And this I might quickly ask:

Many Preachers claim that we must go beyond the Cross, especially many of those of the Charismatic variety. What do they mean by going beyond the Cross? Actually, where is one to go?

The Work of Christ at the Cross, is called a “Finished Work,” which is portrayed by Paul in Hebrews 1:3, by Jesus being “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” As well, Paul referred to this great work as “the Everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20).

Some may claim that we leave the Cross after conversion, thereby going on to the Holy Spirit. However, when we understand, that the Holy Spirit will not work within our hearts and lives, at least to the full degree which He can, without our Faith being properly placed in the Cross, then we realize that it’s impossible to separate the Holy Spirit from the Cross. That’s what we explained in Romans 8:2. Everything the Holy Spirit does, He does within the framework and the parameters of what Jesus did at the Cross. In fact, before the Cross, He could not even come into the hearts and lives of Believers to abide. This could only be done after the Cross, which satisfied the sin debt (Jn. 14:16–17).

The great Ministry of the Holy Spirit is to “glorify Christ” (Jn. 16:14). And how does He glorify Christ?

He does so, by constantly pointing to the Cross (I Cor. 2:2).

Actually, in the last two Chapters of Revelation, which speak of the perfect age to come, when Satan is locked away in the Lake of Fire, along with all his demon spirits and fallen angels, and in fact, there is no more sin, we find the Holy Spirit referring to Christ some seven times as “the Lamb” (Rev. 21:9, 14, 22–23, 27; 22:1, 3).

Seven of course speaks of God’s perfection, and “Lamb” refers to the Crucified Christ (Jn. 1:29).

The Holy Spirit does this, so that we will never forget, that it was the price paid by Christ on the Cross, which has afforded, and does afford all of these great and glorious things. In fact, the entirety of the story of the Bible is the story of man’s Redemption, which in effect, is the story of the Cross.

J. Swaggart