An Enemy Worse than Satan

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26 KJV)

Yes, there is an enemy, more powerful and more dangerous to God’s purposes and our wellbeing than Satan and his demons. That enemy is called death. Paul reveals that the last and most problematic of God’s enemies that will be destroyed is not the devil but death. But why is this so?

Death is an impersonal spiritual power responsible for the degradation and decay of God’s natural creation after the fall. It works in our bodies, souls, spirits, and the earth around us. Think of how different the world today is from the Garden of Eden. Death is that power working in the world to create the marks of the fall—physical death, disease, suffering, mental and emotional torments, hardship, and separation from God.

Satan is the king and lord of death( Heb. 2:14). He takes advantage of death as the spiritual power that has dominion over human beings and the natural world. Since death has control over fallen human beings—their bodies, souls, and spirit— and the environment, Satan is indeed the god of this world, ruling over the world as the lord of death.

Jesus conquered Satan and overcame death. Defeating Satan was not enough; in fact, Satan was not His most significant concern. Our greatest victory is our victory over death, which is often symbolically described as the victory over the grave: “o death where is thy sting” ( 1 Cor. 15:55).

You have eternal life in Christ, so you have passed from death to life. Death is no longer reigning over your body, mind, or spirit, except we allow it to!

What is the relationship between Satan and death as described in Heb. 2:14?

God’s Word cancels death, just as light dispels darkness. You are alive in Christ. God’s life, not death, is in your body, mind, spirit, ministry, career, family, etc. Death’s reign in your life has been abolished, so let grace and eternal life reign in you!

Thank the Lord for the blessing of eternal life.