Jesus Destroyed the Works of the Devil

One of the most striking statements in the New Testament appears in the book of Hebrews. It says in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 that Jesus destroyed the devil. But what does that actually mean? Did Jesus destroy a supernatural being or is the Bible pointing us to something deeper about sin and death?

To answer that question, we need to start with the passage itself. Hebrews tells us:

"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil."

At first glance that statement raises an important question. Who is the one who has the power of death? Is it a supernatural devil or does the scripture explain the source of death in another way?

Well to understand, we need to go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. In the book of Genesis, God placed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and gave them a simple command. They were free to enjoy the garden, but they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of course, Adam and Eve chose disobedience and because of that choice sin entered the human experience and with sin came death. From that moment forward mortality became the condition of all humanity. The Bible repeatedly explains this connection between sin and death, saying that sin leads to death. So, when Hebrews speaks about the one who has the power of death, we have to ask, what actually brings death to humanity and the answer the Bible gives is very consistent. It's sin, sin brings death.

Temptation and sin have been a part of human life since the beginning. All of us struggle with our own desires and the pull of our human nature. This struggle is often illustrated in scripture with the symbol of a serpent. In the garden of Eden, the serpent is described as a beast of the field, but although its words deceived Eve, the decision to disobey God ultimately belonged to Adam and Eve themselves. The serpent becomes a symbol connected with sin and rebellion. In the book of Numbers, the people of Israel had been complaining and rebelling against God in the wilderness and so God sent fiery serpents who appeared among them and many were bitten and died. But then God instructed Moses to create a bronze serpent, to put it on a pole and that anyone who looked upon that serpent in faith was healed. Later Jesus referred directly to that event when he said:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in him may have eternal life."

In other words the lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness pointed forward to the crucifixion of Christ. When Jesus was lifted up on the cross, he was confronting the very problem symbolized by the serpent, then.

But unlike every other human being Jesus did something that no one else had ever done. He lived a life without sin. Although he was tempted in every way like we are, he chose to do the will of his Father instead of following the desires of the flesh. When Jesus died on the cross, he condemned sin in himself, he overcame it. In that sense Jesus destroyed the power that leads to death, he destroyed the devil.

But the Bible also teaches us something very important about where temptation comes from. Jesus once addressed this question while speaking to the scribes and Pharisees. They were criticizing his disciples for not following certain traditions about washing before eating. But Jesus used that moment to explain something much deeper. He said that whatever enters a person from the outside, it doesn't defile them. Instead, what defiles a person comes from within. From the human heart come evil thoughts, immorality, theft, murder, envy, pride, and many other sins. In other words, the real source of sin isn't something external, it's the human heart. James explains the same principle very clearly. He writes:

"Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

So where does the power of death come from? It comes from the chain reaction that begins with human desire that leads to sin and ends in death.

That's the enemy that Jesus came to overcome and the New Testament shows that Jesus achieved victory over it. By living a sinless life and overcoming death through the resurrection he broke the power that sin holds over humanity. That battle against sin is something that believers still face today. We live in a world where sin is everywhere. The apostle Paul describes this world as one that follows the course of disobedience and rebellion against God. Every day we're surrounded by influences that encourage selfishness, encourage pride, and encourage immorality.

Yet believers are called to resist those influences. Paul describes this struggle using the imagery of a soldier. In the book of Ephesians, he speaks about putting on the armor of God so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil. This armor includes truth, righteousness, faith, the word of God, and constant prayer. In other words, the battle against sin requires vigilance and commitment, but the good news of the gospel is that the decisive victory has already been won. Jesus overcame sin. He conquered death and when he returns that victory will be fully realized. The dead will be raised, those who belong to Christ will receive immortality and the power of death will finally be removed forever.

This is the freedom that Jesus made possible. Today, believers aren't living in fear of some supernatural force controlling their lives. Instead, the Bible directs our attention to the real struggle, the battle within the human heart. It also gives us hope because through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the power of sin and of death has already been broken. When Christ returns those who follow him will share in that victory. They will be freed completely from the weakness of the flesh and the pull of sin. This is the ultimate meaning behind the words of Hebrews. Through his death Jesus destroyed sin's power, the power of death, and by God's grace that victory can become ours as well.