HOW GOD TRICKED AND DEFEATED THE DEVIL
From The HeartPublish date: 04/17/2011
God’s hidden plan of salvation
And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 AMP
Before the foundation of the world, Jesus was crucified. God had a plan to save man and He put it into motion from the moment man sinned. He revealed enough to let man know that there was a plan and there was a Savior who would come and redeem all mankind. He revealed enough that man would recognize Him when He came, but not enough that they knew exactly how He was going to do it. The devil didn’t know any more than that either. Men were looking for their Savior and the devil was looking for the Seed who would bruise his head.
So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Matthew 21:6-11 NKJV
The week before Jesus was crucified; the crowd had turned Him into their hero. They worshipped Him as Messiah, shouting, “Hosanna, Lord save us!” However, when He was taken to be crucified, they all abandoned Him to save their own skin. Suddenly they weren’t so sure if He really was the Messiah anymore. He humbled Himself in their eyes and suffered the death of the cross. Even the disciples were thrown into a tailspin at that time — Peter denied even knowing Him. It looked like it was the end, but it was only the beginning!
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. Mark 14:10-11 NKJV
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Matthew 27:3-4 NKJV
Judas didn’t know what God’s plan was or his place in that plan. God did not make Judas do what he did, but He knew ahead of time that Judas would do it. Judas allowed the devil to corrupt his heart. He lost respect for Jesus when he started stealing from Him. He gave the devil so much place in his life that he had no conscience about betraying Jesus. Even though he was so close to Jesus, he did not see Him for who He really was. Afterwards, however, when he came to his senses, he was devastated that he done such a terrible thing.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1-10 NKJV
The devil never saw his demise coming — he does not know everything. In Genesis, God told him that the Seed of the woman — Jesus — would bruise his head and he would bruise His heel. He tried his best through the ages to kill everyone who could potentially be that Seed. When he influenced men to beat, abuse, and kill Jesus, he thought he had won — he thought he had succeeded in getting rid of Him — but he woke up to the worst nightmare of his life! God’s very plan was for Jesus to die on that cross, defeat the devil, destroy the power of sin over man, take the keys of death, hell and the grave, and rise triumphantly from the dead with the power to also raise from the dead, and give eternal life to, all men who would believe in Him! After Jesus was raised from the dead, the whole plan could be openly revealed, and is now revealed through God’s word for anyone to see. However, even now, there are still people who don’t understand what was accomplished at the cross, because they look at it with the eye of the flesh and not the eye of the Spirit.
Even today, there are those who try to deny the death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection — for without it there would be no salvation for man and no eternal life. But God’s word stands firm as a testimony — through the ages — of the mighty saving work that was done when Jesus offered up His own life and forever sealed that unshakable, unchangeable, unbreakable, eternal covenant of mercy between God and man! Thank God, for His grace and mercy toward us as demonstrated in the death, burial and resurrection of His only begotten Son!