Heb.2:14-16 – – AMPC – Since, therefore, [these His] children share in flesh and blood [in the physical nature of human beings], He [Himself] in a similar manner partook of the same [nature], that by [going through] death He might bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death—that is, the devil—And also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives.
For, as we all know, He [Christ] did not take hold of angels [the fallen angels, to give them a helping and delivering hand], but He did take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [to reach out to them a helping and delivering hand].
This passage of scripture can become a great sense of comfort and confidence to believers. According to this passage the enemy has been “brought to nought”, in other words he has been stripped of all of his weapons that he used against us. He was able to attack us because of the vulnerability we had because of our being part of the fallen race of man, he used our sins against us. Christ destroyed the enemy’s hold on us which was our own sinfulness. We now stand before God blameless having been washed in the blood of Jesus. Realizing this puts us in a powerful position to never to be fooled by the enemy or to fear his works. Here is what the Christ Centered Expository Commentary says about this.
“These verses also reveal that Christ has destroyed the devil, “the one holding the power of death.” Of course, this destruction does not refer to Satan’s ultimate, eschatological destruction (destruction at the end of the age). As we have already seen, Satan remains a real and active enemy of the church. Instead, Christ destroyed the devil in such a way that Satan can no longer do any ultimate spiritual damage to God’s people. Christ’s penal and substitutionary atonement completely exhausts Satan’s powers of accusation. Thus, while the devil may continue to prowl about, he prowls with a limp. He has been stripped of his most destructive weapons. His accusations against God’s people do not stick.”
This truth is essential for us to embrace if we are to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. Remember, we have been given to Christ because of His work of redemption being put on display in us. It’s the testimony of Jesus that glorifies God and destroys the kingdoms of this world. Rev.12:11 – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” So apparently we enforce Christ’s authority over the kingdoms of this world as we worship Him and tell of all the amazing things He has done for us. So as the end of this age closes in on us, our testimony is a declaration of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
