Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In addition to making salvation and eternal life possible for believers in this present age, Jesus' redeeming death and subsequent resurrection sealed the devil's ultimate doom at the close of the age, as described in Revelation 20.

However, until that time, Satan and his demonic followers remain alive and active in this world, and continue efforts to deceive as many people as possible, to influence those people not to avail themselves of the salvation that God offers through faith in Christ.

Thus, although Jesus has done all that needs to be done for humanity's redemption, He is still active (as those whom He has redeemed should also be) in combatting the devil's continuing lies and deception. 

(Also, in my opinion, Jesus would not have told His followers (in Matthew 28:20), "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age," if He was not going to be somehow active or engaged on their behalf.)

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Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Yes, it is finished (at least in part.) 1 John 3:5 says, "You know Christ came to take away our sins. He isn't sinful." He has never been sinful and never will be. Thus through His sinless, impeccable life, sacrificial death, and resurrection, Jesus destroyed the works of the devil (1 John 3:8 -- "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."). 

And then through His death and resurrection He broke the power of the devil according to Hebrews 2:14 -- "Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it's logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil's hold on death." I really felt this right when I became a Christian and shortly thereafter, too. He freed me! Before I met Christ, I was cowering through life, scared to death of death (and going to hell as I knew I deserved to (Romans 3:23 as "all of us have sinned." And "the wages of sin is death." But then after I got saved, I didn't fear death and hell anymore because Jesus gave me a ticket to heaven.

Yet, the devil is still very much alive and well on earth. Why? God has His reasons. The devil is still prowling. "That enemy of ours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour." It seems to me like Mr. Devil is eating some people alive nowadays. But his doom is sure. John the Revelator wrote in Revelation 20:7 "When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations - called Gog and Magog - in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle - a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. 10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. "

His doom is sure!

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