Jesus came to bring change; He came to overthrow the evil powers on this earth. Do you know how you can be a part of this great work?
The whole world lies under the evil power of sin. It is the root of every problem, all the tears and every bit of suffering on the earth. Everywhere you look, all the misery, need, and unrighteousness has its root in sin. The world has been corrupted, and as time goes by, the corruption and evil grow worse. All these things were prophesied by Jesus (see Matthew 24), but what is His plan with everything?
Destroying the root of the problem
Jesus Christ Himself came with the answer. He was the start of a change, almost 2000 years ago. During His days on earth, greed, crime, corruption and misery were also common. Israel was suffering under the heavy rule of the Roman Empire. They were hoping for a saviour - someone to come and overthrow Rome’s evil rule and set them free.
It was not much different from the way it is now. Many think it would be nice if a mighty hero could rise up and throw down all the greedy big businesses, corrupt governments, terrorist groups, and other evils that are so common in our day. But Jesus didn’t come to treat the symptoms of sin. He didn’t come to overthrow the evil rulers of this world. He came to attack the root of the problem. He came to defeat sin itself (1 John 3:8).
And that is exactly what He did. Jesus completely overcame all sin in His own life. By doing this, He overthrew the evil ruler Satan, and showed the world once and for all that mankind doesn’t need to be a slave of Satan, that we don’t need to listen to him.
This “revolution” began quietly during Jesus’ early life. Jesus defeated Satan by humbling Himself under the Father’s will and always saying “no” to sin. He never gave in to sin and Satan. Even when He was dying on the cross in great pain, He did not sin. He proved to the world that Satan did not have total power anymore.
Overthrowing the evil ruler
Our war is not against the human rulers, politicians and sinners of this time. They are just a symptom of the larger problem (Ephesians 6:12). The root of the problem is sin itself. That is the goal of Jesus’ work - the change He came to bring. He wants to completely destroy sin. That is the enemy we fight against.
Those who follow Jesus, His disciples, fight against this “enemy” by not giving in to the sin that they themselves are tempted to (Colossians 3:5). They take up their cross every day, don’t give in to their own sinful will, and in this way they follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).
Disciples are humble and admit when they are wrong. They choose to bless when they are treated unfairly. They choose to give when they themselves are in need. When greed, anger, worry, pride, jealousy, impurity, and all other sins try to come into their hearts, disciples reject them. They refuse to agree with those sinful thoughts. They choose to fight them! They choose to bring about a complete change!
Jesus on the throne
The goal of Jesus’ followers is to put Jesus on the throne of the earth. When Satan, the ruler of this world, has been defeated in battle after battle - when Jesus’ followers have completely destroyed Satan’s power in every area of their lives - then God will decide, “Now it is enough.” Then Satan’s rule will be at an end and God will put Jesus in charge of the earth (Revelation 19:11).
This is the Second Coming of Christ and the beginning of the Millennium, a thousand years of peace and joy on the earth. With Jesus on the throne and the servants of the devil thrown out, peace and righteousness will be able to spread on the earth. The corruption of sin will get less and less and a healing will begin. Then it will be time to start cleaning up the symptoms of sin, because Jesus’ disciples would have already overcome the root of sin within themselves.
Then those people who chose to serve Jesus will go up to all the evil rulers, corrupt politicians and greedy businessmen who oppress and abuse the people, and they will overthrow them! They will have the power and authority to do that, because they have already overcome the great ruler of sin (Satan) within themselves.
Maybe you wonder how all the pain and misery in the world will be put right. That will also happen when Jesus returns. Then all will be well. No one will have to beg for money or food anymore and there will be no more fighting and arguing. Righteousness will rule, and there will no longer be any form of oppression! There will be no more tears and no more suffering.
Will you be along in overthrowing the ruler of sin, first in your own life, and then throughout the earth?