ARTICLES
It Happened At The Cross
by Jeanniene Lee
Do you really understand the significance of Jesus' death upon the cross? Do you know what it really meant for someone to be crucified upon a cross? Do you know what really happened for you and I at the cross when Jesus died? Beloved, our overall success as a Christian is contingent upon our fully understanding what happened at the cross!  As we celebrate the RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD...it is important that you fully understand WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CROSS!!!!

The Bible makes it quite clear that "understanding" is an essential ingredient to our success in life. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7). Without understanding, destruction is imminent.

Hosea 4:6 records God's bold declaration that, "my people are destroyed for LACK OF KNOWLEDGE . . ."  To have a lack of knowledge implies that one lack's of something, lacks knowing something, thus one lacks understanding. The word "knowledge" comes from the word "know," and implies to know something.

We just finished celebrating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Do you know what really took place upon that cross where Jesus Christ died?  It is my prayer for you that the eyes of your spiritual understanding will be enlightened and that you will grasp and receive revelation as to WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CROSS!

There are numerous scriptures that give us a glimpse into what really happened at the cross and upon that cross where Jesus died for us. Two very significant passages are Galatians 3:13 and Colossians 2:14 and 15.

Galatians 3:13 reads, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, BEING MADE A CURSE FOR US: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."  I like the way this passage reads in the Amplified Bible, "Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified)."

When Jesus hung on that cross, He paid the penalty for our sin and in turn He purchased our freedom from the law and from the curses, which were a result of sin and violation of the law. The curses included doom and destruction in every area of  life, from poverty and lack to sickness and incurable diseases.

Deuteronomy 28:15-68 records the curses that Christ redeemed us from. It is important that you know what you have been redeemed from so that when the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy in your life you can remind him that you are redeemed from the curse.

Colossians 2:14-15 further confirms what happened for us at the cross, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it OUT OF THE WAY, nailing it to his cross; AND HAVING SPOILED PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, he [Jesus] made a shew of them openly, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT."

The Amplified Version of Colossians 2:14-15 is awesome, "Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.  [God ] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranging against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]."

Did you notice what verse 15 said?  Beloved, a battle was won by Jesus Christ over the devil and all the host of hell at the cross. Not only any battle, but an awesome battle was won once and for all where you and I are concerned.

The devil's power and authority over us was destroyed at the cross! The devil and all his host were "disarmed" completely! They no longer have power or authority over you and I as Christians. Shout "Amen," Somebody! The battle has already been won against the devil and his demon spirits!

Further, sin, which is from the devil, and its power over us was destroyed by Jesus Christ at the cross! It was for this purpose that Jesus came, "He that committed sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  FOR THIS PURPOSE THE SON WAS MANIFESTED, that he might DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL"
(1 John 3:8).

Every battle that we will ever face in life has already been won for us by Jesus Christ. Yes, you heard me right! Every single situation we will ever be up against and every circumstance we will ever face in life, Jesus Christ has already faced them on our behalf and for us (Hebrews 4:14-16); and, besides that He fought that battle for us and TRIUMPHED VICTORIOUSLY. He fought that battle and WON!

The battle has already been won. So, why are you still fighting the devil? Why are you still battling sin? The devil has been defeated! Sin and its power over you have been destroyed! So, why are you still trying to defeat someone or something that has already been defeated by Jesus Christ on the cross?  Stop fighting the devil.  RESIST HIM and he will flee from you!

When Jesus released the words "it is finished" just before He died on the cross, he declared and audibly decreed that everything that was necessary to RESTORE US BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL PLACE IN GOD had been purchased by Him and was now settled - finished!  Jesus decreed that, "it is finished;" so, beloved, IT IS FINISHED, period, settled, over!

Our primary enemy as a Christian is the devil and all the host of hell. Everything that is in direct opposition to the blessings of God is from the devil. The devil is the source of all the turmoil, heartache, lack, poverty, sickness, disease, sin, etc. that you will face in life.
The scripture makes this quite clear, "the thief (the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10a). That was and still is the devil's number one priority for his attack against mankind -- to steal from us in every area of our life, to kill anything and everything that has the life of God in it, and to destroy and bring destruction at every opportunity.

Glory be to God that He sent Jesus Christ! Jesus came to do the EXACT OPPOSITE - "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10b).

Beloved, why are you still fighting when Jesus Christ won the battle for you at the CROSS? That is where it happened! Jesus Christ defeated the devil at the cross, He defeated sin at the cross, and He defeated the results of sin which is the curses and death at the cross.

No where in scripture are we told that we are to battle or fight the devil or sin. The Bible clearly and boldly tells us to RESIST THE DEVIL (James 4:7) and to FLEE FROM SIN (II Timothy 2:22).

Even in the Apostle Paul's letter of exhortation to the church at Ephesus regarding spiritual warfare and our foes (the devil and all the host of hell), we ARE NOT told to fight or battle the enemy. Paul exhorts us rather to put on God's whole armour (Ephesians 6:13).

The very first piece of armour that we are exhorted to put on is "truth" -- "having your loins girt about with truth" (Ephesians 6:14). Beloved, this passage is in direct keeping with Proverbs 4:7, "get understanding," and Hosea 4:6, "my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Lack of knowing the truth!

Jesus made it quite clear that TRUTH WAS OUR LINK TO FREEDOM -- "And ye shall KNOW THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH [that you know] shall make you free" (John 8:32). So, beloved, we must gird our loins with truth. We must know for ourselves what happened at the cross; and, the truth to what happened at the cross is in the Bible.

Sin and its' power over us was destroyed at the cross! The devil and all the host of hell Were defeated at the cross! All the works of the devil were annihilated at the cross! This included but is not limited to all sickness, disease, pain, suffering, destruction, poverty, lack, and everything associated with the devil in any area of his mission to steal, kill and destroy.

As the devil and the host of hell comes against us, we are to stand our ground firmly and remind the devil and his demon spirits that Jesus triumphed over them at the cross. We don't have to waste our time battling against them. THEY ARE ALREADY DEFEATED! They are under our feet!

We Christians have fallen into a trap where the devil is concerned, by spending too much time unnecessarily "fighting or battling the devil."  This is a strategy of deception to distract us and break our focus from what God desires for us to be doing with our time.

Before Jesus even went to the cross He boldly stated that it was time for the devil to be judged and in turn defeated, "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world [the devil] be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth [talking about on the cross], will draw all men unto me" (John 12: 31-32).

We as Christians don't have to keep fighting him, THE BATTLE HAS ALREADY BEEN WON. We, as God's ambassadors, must enforce satan's defeat. In other words, we must constantly remind him that He is a defeated foe. We must remind him that he was defeated at the cross by Jesus Christ the Son of God Himself. We must enforce satan's defeat.

Just like a police officer enforces the laws of the land and ensures that they are abided by; we as Christ's ambassadors (II Corinthians 5:20) in the earth must enforce God's law (the Word of God - the Bible) and ensure that the devil is constantly reminded that his power and authority over us has been destroyed by Jesus at the cross as recorded in Galatians 3:13 and Colossians 2:14-15. We must enforce what Christ did on the cross in defeating the devil; we must enforce satan's defeat!

Even under the Old Covenant, God told the children of Israel that the battle was His, ". . . thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your's, but God's" (II Chronicles 20:15).

If God told the Israelites, under the Old Covenant, that the battle was His surely under the New Covenant the battle IS NOT OURS BUT THE BATTLE IS GOD'S! Jesus Christ is the mediator of a better covenant for us which was established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6).

Beloved, you don't have to tolerate the devil or accept his bill-of-goods he wants to give you. As a matter of fact, you don't even have to waste your time fighting him, he has already been defeated by Jesus Christ at the cross. Don't accept what he wants to give you. Don't accept sickness! Don't accept disease! Don't accept poverty! Don't accept lack! Don't accept anything he has to offer you that is absent of abundant life!

Don't even waste your time with him, simply "submit yourselves therefore to God. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU" (James 4:7). Remind him that he was defeated at the cross and as God's ambassador in the earth you are here to enforce his defeat!

The only fight you need to be concerned with is "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (I Timothy 6:12). So that when it's all over, your declaration can be like Apostle Paul's, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have KEPT THE FAITH" (II Timothy 4:7).




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