While we know that Jesus saves us from Satan and the cost of sin, we can’t always articulate how it happened. In this sermon, Greg shows us how God outwitted the enemy and completely destroyed every piece of ammunition that Satan has against us.
Watch/Listen
The Sting
• Greg Boyd
Show Extended Summary Hide Extended Summary
In the movie, Chronicles of Narnia, the character Edmund is charged with treason for betraying his sisters and brothers. The ice queen now controls Edmund’s fate because he broke the law. However, Aslan frees Edmund from the queen’s control by making the queen break her own law. This movie has many parallels for how Jesus freed us from Satan’s control and the costs of our sins.
When Aslan marched into the queen’s camp, the queen had no idea what Aslan was doing. When Jesus came to this Earth, the powers and authorities had no idea what he was doing. Satan tried turning Jesus to his side. The demons didn’t understand why Jesus had come. Even the disciples didn’t fully understand why Jesus had come.
The queen orchestrated the killing of Aslan, but she did not understand why Aslan allowed himself to die. Jesus walked into this world where Satan ruled. Satan and his demons didn’t know why, but they did know that Jesus was human, and therefore could be killed. Their eyes were fixed on that goal, not knowing that goal would bring about their destruction. It brought about their destruction because Jesus was innocent under the law that condemned all humans.
The queen could legitimately kill Edmund because Edmund had broken the laws of the land. But Aslan was innocent according to those laws. When the queen killed Aslan, she broke her own law by killing an innocent. Because of Aslan’s self-sacrifice, the queen lost all authority to condemn the lawbreakers because she herself had broken the law. This was how Jesus broke the power of the law over us.
When Jesus died and was resurrected, it cancelled our indebtedness to the entire system of law, sin, and death. It made a public spectacle of Satan and the powers and authorities because they were the cause of their own demise. Through their own viciousness and dependence on violence, they broke their own back and the system by which they hold humanity accountable. God pulled the greatest sting operation in history. Through God’s wisdom and character, he defeated the enemy by using their own tactics against themselves. And though it came with great cost, the powers and authorities were made powerless.
It is this sacrifice by Jesus that we are able to stand in God’s presence, free from the accusations of sin and death. We gain freedom through his death and resurrection. We are no longer under the law of sin and death. Instead, we receive this gift of free and beautiful grace. We live free from the enemy’s lies that we are still full of sin and in need of redemption. Live in the truth that God loves you, and that by Jesus’ sacrifice, you are free.
Hide Extended SummaryTopics: Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare
Downloads & Resources
Focus Scripture:
-
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
8 thoughts on “The Sting”
Leave a Reply
What an unraveling of revelation! The Master chess player, unbeknownst to the adversary declares CHECK MATE! He never saw it coming. His Love reigns throughout all situations, even when we deserve death, punishment, wrath; even when we stand in debt, Christ comes not to condemn us, but takes it even further destroying the power of the one who was rightly accusing us. His love conquers all, and fulfills the payment, the indebtedness, in the process. Amen, Greg we should stand in awe of His infinite wisdom and love. We are free indeed!
God is NOT the accuser…. Satan is! It makes everything so clear. It is Good News, God is truly good!!! Thanks Greg
WOW! I loved what Greg said in the last sermon about God rebuking Satan because he noted(noticed) Joshua’s dirty clothes. If that is the voice of Satan the accuser, then think of all those “noticers” who note all of our dirty clothes in the name of Jesus. And we wonder why the Christianity is dying in America. Jesus is not being rejected by America, just Christianity’s portrayal of him. If we are the conduits of Jesus on earth, and we are…I firmly believe that the real Jesus will only be rejected by the religious, as it was in his day. But how can uncondional love by the God who created you and knows you really be rejected? We all want to be loved beyond our flaws because we believe that there is something good in us, even though we know we fall short. Just like little Greggy…
Satan is not the only accuser….
The law rightfully accuses us also. Christ came to fulfill the law not for Himself but us because we couldnt. So as Paul says ” do we go on sinning so grace may abound ” ???
Why would God die on the cross for satan the accuser? satin is not who we seek to forgive us, God is. Greg, I am so confused. I know I must be missing something so please help me understand.
My understanding is that Jesus died for our forgiveness, Forgiveness from the accuser? God sacrificed his son for forgiveness from the accuser? Who cares what the accuser thinks & why would God care ? So confused…
Amen
WOW!! Your insight is amazing!! Yet again you’ve lifted the dusty veneer off of stale scriptures and teachings and revealed the brilliant light of Christ Jesus. WOW!! A sting operation. To hear you preach it, well, of course that’s the plan! Phew, I am so grateful to God that I stumbled upon you, Dr. Boyd. If only I didn’t live 999 miles away from Woodland Hills Church. Mercifully, there’s a place for me through being a podrishioner. Blessings of mercy and grace to you and your family. Thank you!