What Did Jesus Do?

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fast bound in Satan's chains I lay;
Death brooded darkly o'er me.
Sin was my torment night and day;
In sin my mother bore me.
But daily deeper still I fell;
My life became a living hell,
So firmly sin possessed me (LSB 556.2).

Recently, I watched a television show where science fiction crashed right into the realm of religion. In the show, the main characters crash-land onto a forlorn planet hovering precariously on the edge of a black hole, but mysteriously not being sucked in and destroyed. Some scientists had discovered this planet, and scans found that there was a massive, unexplainable energy source in the middle of it, so they set about drilling down to reach it. What they found was mind-bending: they found the Abyss, the prison of Satan, the great Beast.

In the course of the plot of this episode, the main character descends into the Pit, not knowing what he will find, surrounded only by darkness. Finally, after descending miles and miles, he falls to the bottom and encounters Satan chained in the darkness, snarling and ravening. This character, The Doctor, must then confront his own previously-held belief that Satan was merely an idea, a personification of the lower nature of sentient beings, or the name ascribed to an evil impersonal force in the universe.

But there, standing before the Doctor, in all his howling, ravening gruesomeness, was the devil, the Beast, Satan, Beelzebub. No more denials.

Of course, “Doctor Who” is fantasy, inventive science fiction that uses common threads of urban mythology to make good television programming. But the point nevertheless remains for our consideration, and for our confession: Who is Satan, and how should we relate to him?

The Scriptures are relatively sparse on the information supplied about the devil. Moses calls him “the serpent” in Genesis 3. He is called “The Accuser” in the Book of Job and by the prophet Zechariah – in Hebrew HaSatan. The Scriptures variously refer to him as the ruler of this world, the prince of lies, a roaring lion, the Morning Star, and a handful of other titles.

He is most often conceptualized by Christians as a fallen angel. This has long been held in the tradition of Jewish and early Christian thought, characterized by Justin Martyr. The Scriptures do not spell out as such, but it is inferred from various passages. The Fathers often thought that the sin of Lucifer, the “Light-Bearer” was that he was jealous of the love that God chose to bestow upon mankind, that He should become incarnate as Man, rather than an angel, and so Lucifer rebelled against God and was cast down out of heaven.

Based on the prologue of the Book of Job, it is thought that for a time the devil had a limited access to the throne of God, to act as an accuser of the children of man before the righteous Judge, in his efforts to drag the rest of creation down to hell with him. But he has been cast down from that role. His accusatory office has been abolished with the work of Christ.

Despite the speculation about his origin, species, and sin, the traditions of mainstream Judaism and Christianity have held that Satan is a real, live, spiritual being who has real impact and force in the universe. He truly has existence, sufficient that he can harm and afflict those over whom God allows him control, such as in the case of Job.

However, this is not the only opinion about the nature of the devil. Throughout the world, in various systems of thought and religions, the devil has been conceptualized in other ways, some stranger than others, but nevertheless incomplete, or sometimes just plain wrong. Beware, dear Christians, the false messages about the devil's existence.

For some, the devil is seen as a malevolent deity who seeks control of the universe. Generally, in this scheme of thought, he is understood to be nearly, if not completely, equal in power and might to the benevolent deity we would call God. St. Augustine writes extensively about his time under the influence of such thinking as a member of the cult of the Manicheans, who believed that the whole universe was caught up in a cosmic battle between a good god and an evil god. Therefore, the evil in the world – and each person's sinful actions – were directly caused by the devil, and man is not responsible for his actions.

Some have even gone so far as to assert that the God of the Old Testament is such an evil deity; hence the need for a second revelation, a savior from Jehovah's disastrous reign of terror. This was the error of Marcion, who believed and taught that Jehovah was wrathful and vindictive, and was defeated by the all-forgiving God revealed in Jesus Christ.

However, orthodox Christianity has always carefully and studiously rejected these and all such errors. There is only one God, “the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” The devil is in no way equal to or comparable with the King of the universe, nor does his malevolent action constrain or compromise the reign of God among us. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” (Deut. 6:4)

On the other side of things, some would have you believe, like the Doctor, that Satan is merely an idea. Even the official “Church of Satan” teaches that Satan is not a real, distinct, active deity or force, but simply the name given to the god within each human being.

In this sort of thinking, there is no external evil force in the universe. The universe is generally considered amoral and impartial, and there are only the choices of men, which lead toward or away from self-actualization, the meaning of which is determined by each individual.

The extreme of the Church of Satan aside, many who would call themselves Christians have been taught to buy into this idea of the devil. So this may be the most dangerous error of all with respect to the devil and his work among us.

If there is no malevolent active spiritual force at work, seeking to drag you away from God and to make war on all that is good and holy, then you can simply choose to take responsibility for yourself and your actions. If you want to make yourself better, it is merely a matter of willpower and effort. There is no one to blame but yourself, and no one is going to make atonement for your sins if you will not do better. This is the error of many in Pentecostal and so-called “Word of Faith” movements. You can harness the power of God to make your life better, simply by speaking positive words – your words make your reality. Simply refuse to speak about evil, and you will not have evil in your life.

Hogwash! Beware, O Christians – “your adversary the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He is no impersona force, no mere defect of your will, no figment of your imagination or base instinct of your nature. He is real, living, and active. He has been cast down out of heaven, and he roams the earth with the fury of hell, seeking to devour the saints of God and drag them down with him into the abyss.

But take heart! Fear not! For Christ has defeated Satan and freed you from the bondage of sin, death, and hell. The accuser has been silenced, for “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?” (Rom. 8:33) Jesus did not die simply to placate a wrathful, vengeful God. He did not die simply to reconcile mankind with our Creator (although He did do that).

He did not die simply to make your lives better in the here and now, or simply to get you a get-out-of-jail-free card to fling at the Judge on the Last Day. He died also to defeat the Beast, to overthrow the ruler of this world, to silence the Accuser of God's elect.

Yes, your sins are evil. Your sins are despicable to God, and you ought to be, by all rights, condemned by the Law and sentenced to die eternally. It is true what the devil may accuse you of – you are a poor, miserable sinner, deserving only of wrath and punishment. This is no mere defect of your will. You yourselves have done what is evil in the sight of the Lord. You have worshiped the false gods within your heart and mind. You have disrespected your parents and the other authorities that the Lord has set over you. You have desired the bodies of those who are not given to you. You have committed murder, adultery, and myriad other ghastly sins in your heart and mind. You have thought and spoken ill of your brother, your neighbor, your friend, your pastor, your elected officials, even your spouse. For all this, and more, the Law declares you guilty and liable to death.

But thanks be to God that these sins are taken away by your savior Jesus Christ our Lord. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” Christ has conquered sin, death, and the devil. He has put to death in you all that is evil, sinful, and ungodly, and He continues to do so on a daily basis by your dying and rising in repentance and faith, living in your Baptism.

And in this way, Christ has robbed Satan of his power. The Accuser has nothing with which to accuse the elect of God. Your sins are put on Christ, who nailed them to the accursed tree, and there the record stands, purged of any arrears by the blood of Jesus Christ for all. There is nothing left for the old evil foe.

The devil may seek to devour whom he may, but he can harm you none, because the victory is won and it remains yours forever.

Christ died in the body so that He might defeat the devil and his forces in your flesh. He is at work even now, purifying your body and spirit by His Holy Spirit.

We confess that Christ descended into hell, and there He preached to the spirits in prison the death of sin and Life in the Spirit of God. We believe, teach, and confess in the Formula of Concord that “we know that Christ descended into hell, destroyed hell for all believers, and delivered them from the power of death and of the devil, from eternal condemnation and the jaws of hell.” (FC Ep IX.4) Therefore, as St. Peter says, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.”

The devil is real, vicious and ravenous, seeking whom he may devour. But he may harm us none, for the victory which has condemned him to the Pit is now complete and accomplished. St. Michael and all the angels of heaven stand in the power of the Lamb who was slain, ready to defend the saints of the Lord from the adversary. The Accuser has nothing of with to accuse you, because you are free from guilt, being covered in the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body by as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

The devil is real. He is the great dragon, the multi-headed serpent, the roaring lion, the destroyer of souls, the accuser of mankind, the prince of darkness. He is fearsome and not to be laughed off or taken lightly. But he is no terror to God's elect, you faithful of the Lord. For you have a good conscience “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him.”

The devil is certainly not equal to God, and is not even equal in honor and dignity to man. For it is a Man and not an angel who sits upon the throne of God and lives and reigns to all eternity. Fear not, for the power of Satan is destroyed. The devil's might is come unraveled. His ability to hold you to your sins is gone, because your sins are taken away, as far as the east is from the west. He cannot accuse you, nor can he stand before God to condemn you.

Hold fast to this – to the power of your Baptism. For that blessed washing was not simply a removal of dirt from the body, but sundered you from the number of the unbelieving and enrolled you among those whose residence is in the ark of God, the holy Church whose protector is the Lord Christ and whose Comforter is the Holy Spirit of God. You are not left as orphans, abandoned to fend for yourselves against the powers of sin, death, and hell. No – you are surrounded by angels and archangels, filled with the immortal life of Christ, and sealed with the Name of God which breaks the chains of hell and death.

Satan is real. He is no mere idea. But so is your Baptism, and so is your God. Jesus is no mere idea, and your Baptism is no mere sprinkling with water. Christ has died for you and has risen for your salvation. He has baptized you into Himself, so that you may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom. He has delivered your life from the pit, and He will one day deliver you “from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven,” just as you pray in the Our Father.

To me He said: “Stay close to Me
I am your rock and castle.
Your ransom I Myself will be;
For you I strive and wrestle.
For I am yours, and you are Min,
And where I am you may remain;
The foe shall not divide us (LSB 556.7).

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!