1 John 3:8
[8] He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
I’m reminded of the old song, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” Before salvation, we were not on his side. We were on the wrong side. The side of sin, Satan, death and destruction. We were lost without God, and without hope. Just like our verse declares, we committed sin and were of the devil. Those who are still in sin, and live in sin, are of the devil, because sin originated with Satan, not God.
I’m glad that this is not the end of the story, if you are saved! Those of us who know Christ know we are not what we used to be. We may still have a sin nature but thank God we have a new nature. The Son of God has been manifested in our lives. Through salvation he gives us victory over our sin, and over Satan. His purpose in our lives is to deliver us from the devil and make us more like him.
Every time a sinner is saved, the Son of God destroys the works of the devil. His goal is to drag sinners to hell. The purpose of Calvary is to deliver sinners from hell. This war between God and Satan began in heaven, when God kicked Lucifer, and those who followed him, out of heaven, and placed them in hell. The devil then sought man out and used him as the battleground between good and evil. All through the pages of God’s word, the battle is not between Satan and man, but Satan and God. The good news is that God always defeats Satan in his own time. Christ defeated him at Calvary, and we can defeat him through Christ. We read in Revelation that in the end Christ will defeat him, and all who follow him. Friend, if you know Jesus, you are on the winning side! You are on the side that has already won!