The Bible foretold Christ’s mission which is to bring victory over sin and Satan, and made it known that believers will share in Christ's victory if they trust in him. This lesson will also help to understand the end-time events, acknowledge the reality of spiritual warfare between Christ’s followers and Satan, and to strengthen our faith in Christ. Since Satan is working against God’s plan he will always threaten our determination to follow Christ and share in his victory. Revelation 12:10 – Now is come salvation, and strength, and kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. The followings for are discussed: The Anointed One; Christ’s Victory over Satan, and Live in Christ’s Victory.
The Anointed One will Come: Daniel prophesied concerning the anointed One that would come and the specific purposes that would be fulfilled (Daniel 9:24-25). The purposes that would be fulfilled as revealed by angel Gabriel are: To finish the transgression; To make an end of sins, that is the coming post-sin society where righteousness will rule; To make reconciliation for iniquity; To bring an everlasting righteousness, pointing to when the world will conform permanently to God’s standards; To seal up the vision and prophesy; And to anoint the Most Holy, the One that would rule nations with righteousness.
The prophesies of Daniel 9:25-26 are about events that would take place before and during the time of Christ in the order that was confirmed in terms of dates and accuracy. That revealed the duration of his ministry, when he would be cut off and the era of Christianity - the Church age.
Christ Victory over Satan: His victory was symbolised in Revelation 12:1-6. Here the nation of Israel is described as a woman in travail and about to give birth. Satan is described as the Dragon waiting before the woman to devour her child as soon as it was born. The new born child was to rule the nations from the throne of God. Satan was defeated the second time in his effort to kill the child Jesus. The first time he was defeated was when he was sent out of the heaven for his rebellion. Christ will have complete victory because he is destined to rule nations with a rod of iron. He will overcome his enemies in the end (Psalm 110:1).
The Dragon Defeated: Satan was defeated when he tried to take over God’s authority (Revelation 12:7-10). Satan has been defeated from the beginning, so he cannot win against divine righteousness. Our experience of the new life in Christ works the victory (Corinthians 5:17). Therefore we should not fear Satan’s accusations; he is defeated for as long as we are in Christ. He was defeated in his effort to kill Jesus as a child through king Herod. He was also defeated when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). Likewise he shall be defeated at the second coming of Christ.
Live in Christ Victory: Believers are overcomers “by the blood of the lamb”. Our triumph is as a result of victory of the Christ’s sacrifice (Revelation 12: 11,12,17). The Cross signifies Satan’s defeat in the lives of believers. Believers must determine to follow Christ at any cost, having it in mind that the final victory is beyond the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
Because Satan knows his time is short he will continue to attack people and inflict sufferings without mercy until his final defeat. What we should do as believers is to allow Christ to live in us as we endure till the final victory. If Christ is in us we will never fall to deception of Antichrist (1 John 4 3-4). Lesson texts: Daniel 9:24-26; 1 John 4 1-4; Revelation 12:1-17.
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