So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)

Bound For Hell

An adversary is an opponent who is an arch enemy. The Bible begins with the knowledge of God and immediately tells the story of the interference of Satan. There is no time lost for the adversary of the world to find a way to destroy what God has created. Adam and Eve were placed in the garden with the ability to make moral choices. God placed the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of the garden. Adam and Eve were fully aware of the presence of the two trees and their purpose. God has specifically told them not to eat of the forbidden fruit, but Satan changed that. Deceiving Eve into believing she could be like God, sin came into the world.

Satan was not finished. After Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden, men began to multiply upon the face of the earth. As the number of descendants of Adam and Eve increased, so did sin. By the days of Noah, the world was fully enveloped in moral decadence, and God had decided to kill everyone on earth except Noah and his family. The flood did not cure the sin problem. Through the seed of Abraham, God raised up the nation of Israel. Satan was not finished. He was able to destroy the nation of God as kings rose who served the idols of human wisdom. God brought foreign nations against His people to destroy them and take them into captivity. Humanity had no answer to the serpent of old and his wiles and deceptive ways.

Jesus came into the world to deal a final blow against the serpent of old. Satan tried to kill Jesus when Herod sent his troops into Bethlehem, but he should have known better. The Son of God had taken on human form, and the devil pressed hard against Jesus for thirty years to tempt the Son of God with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When Jesus began His ministry, Satan made a bold attempt to thwart the divine plan to save man, and Jesus would have none of it. He rebuked Satan and demanded that he leave. Satan did, but he was not finished. The deceiver of the world threw all his resources against the ministry of Jesus. Satan knew he could not tempt Jesus, but he knew he could kill the Son of God.

At the end of a nearly three-year ministry of teaching the will of the Father, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, arrested, tried and convicted, and nailed to a cross. Some of the most remarkable words in scripture are those where Jesus breathed His last. God breathed His last. Satan was elated that he had killed the Son of God. The impossible had been done. Jesus was dead. And then – Sunday morning came. God raised Jesus from the dead. Satan learned that his fate was sealed, and his destiny secured. Hell had been prepared before the foundation of the world for Satan and his angels, and now their ticket had been punched for eternal occupancy.

The great dragon found the divine judgment of God with the damning verdict of eternal fire. Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, triumphant over the Devil. Satan lost his final battle. He will continue to deceive the world and take most people with him to the horrors of eternal torment, but he is finished. The devil bruised the heel of Jesus in crucifixion, but Jesus bruised the head of Satan in the resurrection. There is no greater power than Jesus Christ. Satan has been limited in his power. His destiny is sealed. The great dragon is cast out. His power can be overcome through the grace of God. The gospel of two declares that men serve either God or Satan. There are only two choices in eternity. Jesus said most people will go to Hell and only the few will find eternal life. One thing is certain: Satan is going to Hell forever. Praise God.