Destroy the Works of the Devil - Ekman

DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE

DEVIL!

Ulf Ekman

Word of Life Publications

DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVILFirst published in English, 1989Second edition, 1993Third edition, 1995

ISBN 91 7866 240 01 884017 00 2 USA

Original Swedish edition, copyright 1987 Ulf Ekman All rights reserved

English translation, copyright 1989, 1993 Ulf Ekman

Printed in Sweden for Word of Life Publications by Enbloms Grafiska AB

Word of Life PublicationsBox 17, S-751 03 Uppsala, Sweden

AcknowledgmentsUnless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations noted NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers

Preface

This book will examine why Jesus came to earth. We will answer the following questions: What was the real purpose behind Jesus coming? What exactly did He accomplish and how can we appropriate it today?

When we speak from the Word of God, we expect God to accomplish something right now. He always sends His Word to do something today. As the Bible says, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). The Gospel, which is the Word of God, is His power to salvation. We know that the word, "salvation," means "new birth," but it also means deliverance, healing, protection, and a life of freedom in the Holy Spirit. God gives you His life through His Word, when He brings you salvation. And this Word is Jesus Christ.

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6 Destroy the Works of the Devil!

When you receive new life by being born-again, you become part of God's family and a partaker of God's privileges and the New Covenant promises. You receive God's own life and nature. Then you begin to experience all that this new life contains: deliverance from oppression, healing for your body and mind, freedom and protection. This is what God gives you in salvation!

The message of salvation is one of joy, not misery. It is a proclamation of the year of the Lord's favor! The message of the Gospel will set you free. Your personality does not set you free, the Word sets you free. Tremendous preachers cannot set you free, but the Word of God can. Exuberant feelings cannot set you free. Only God's Word can do this: the Word of God which is the Gospel, the power of God to salvation.

The Gospel is all about Jesus Christ. In 1 John 3:8, we discover why Jesus came and was revealed on the earth. Was it so God could show who He was? Was it to show how a good person ought to live? Was it so we

Preface 7

could receive forgiveness for our sins? Was it so we could have the New Testament? Was it merely to set a good example of moral and ethical behavior? What exactly was His purpose?

These are the questions we will now attempt to answer.

Ulf Ekman


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 (1 John 3:8).

Jesus came to this earth to do one thingto destroy the works of the devil.

A Bad Start

The Bible clearly tells us that man, who was created in God's image and walked in fellowship with Him, fell into sin. By doing so, he delivered the world into the hands of the devil, who then became the prince of this world.

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As a result, although he was created in the image of the Most High God, to rule over creation, man lost his authority. His inner man died. The spiritual umbilical cord of unbroken fellowship with God was cut, leaving him without life. Darkness entered his spirit and he died spiritually, just as God had said, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Gen 2:17). The word "die" is plural in Hebrew, meaning that man can die more than once. First, he dies spiritually then he begins to die physically as sickness and weakness enter his body and mind. These lead to physical death and finally, eternal death.

Hebrews 2:14,15 is a parallel scripture to 1 John 3:8, stating virtually the same thing.

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself (Jesus) likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and

Destroy the Works of the Devil! 11

release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Afraid of God

When man fell into sin, fear of death came immediately. This was demonstrated by Adam's fear when he heard God approaching in the Garden. He realized that he was naked, alone and something was missing in his life. So he ran and hid himself and tried to cover his nakedness with fig leaves. He was trying to make himself appear righteous and acceptable again through his own works. This was something God could not accept.

Adam told God that when he had heard Him coming he was afraid and therefore ran and hid himself. The fear that filled his spirit that day has ruled mankind ever since. Man has been subject to bondage through the fear of death.

Everyone who is not born-again is afraid


of death. They may deny it or say that everything is just fine, but they are still afraid of death. They may not be afraid of death itself, but they are afraid of what might happen afterwards.

Jesus Christ came to break the power of death. He came to release those who through the fear of death, had been subject to its bondage all their lives.

Slaves of the Devil

Jesus Christ came to overcome Satan and remove his weapons so he could no longer rule or dominate mankind and bind him through the fear of death.

When man fell into sin, he not only died spiritually, but he was taken captive by the devil. Man was enslaved by the prince of this world. The devil stole the contract that man had with God, and took his dominion over creation.

Though he was created in the image of God to rule, reign and walk with God, man


became a mere slave to the one who steals, kills and destroys God's creation. He ended up in a state of spiritual impoverishment and death, subject to deficiency and sickness that began to force their way into his life.

Previously, sickness had not been found in man, but after the Fall, many different evils including sickness, hate, and contention, began to manifest themselves. In the first generation, man was afraid of God; in the second generation, a man murdered his own brother. The devil's nature had entered mankind. But God had prepared a way of escape!

Even though he had lost everything, man could be redeemed. He could regain his rightful position of fellowship with God and dominion over the earth.

God's Covenant

God made a covenant with Abraham, to redeem mankind from slavery. When God found Abraham, He found a man who


believed Him and who was willing to offer his son Isaac to Him. As a result, God was legally entitled to give His own Son, Jesus, who was of Abraham's seed. He was offered up for every generation and for all mankind.

Thus, through Jesus Christ, the blessing of Abraham has come to the Gentiles. Now we too can receive the promise of the Spirit and the life He has to offer (see Gal 3:13,14).

Then Jesus Came!

God established the Old Covenant to prepare a way to restore fallen man. When everything was ready, Jesus Christ came. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary into the earth. Hebrews 2:14,15 tells us that because the children (mankind) partake of flesh and blood, Jesus also partook of them. In other words, although he had a heavenly Father, He had an earthly mother. He was a man, but He was not soiled by the disobedience, sin and rebellion of mankind. Free from all this, He


was able to walk in fellowship with God.

Now let's look at what Jesus did while He was here on earth. Sometimes we think He came just to show us that He was the Son of God, but that is only part of the truth. He was indeed God's Son. He was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. No one is able to comprehend this, nor does it need to be understood, only stated as a fact. Just as you can ride on a train without understanding how it works, you can receive Jesus without fully comprehending Him.

Some may say that you cannot accept what you do not understand. However, you do this everyday. You probably know very little about how electricity works or how your car runs, but in spite of this, you use them daily.

You should have this same attitude about Jesus Christ. If God is God, and He is, then there are certain things about Him you will be unable to understand simply because He is God. However, He reveals enough of


Himself to us through Jesus, so that, although we do not comprehend everything about Him, we may still receive Him and gain eternal life.

He Came to Serve!

Jesus revealed that He was God, as He walked the earth, but He also referred to Himself using an expression that is helpful for us today: He called Himself the Son of Man.

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

What does Jesus mean when He calls Himself the Son of Man?

He means that He is totally human. Because He is a man, He can reveal what a man really is and what he is called to accomplish. Therefore, Jesus is our example.

Revelation 1:5 tells us that He is the


firstborn from the dead. He is the firstborn in the Church, and He is the firstborn among those who are born again. He is our older brother and we are His brothers and sisters. He has shown us what a real man is like through His life here on earth.

Some may say, "Well, of course Jesus worked miracles, He was the Son of God." But He did not work miracles based on the fact that He was the Son of God. He did them as the Son of Man!

What an Exchange!

Jesus was born of God, but He did not begin His earthly ministry until He was thirty years old and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Imagine a conversation in heaven in which God asked a question, "Whom shall I send? Who will go? Who will redeem this generation?" And Jesus answered, "I will go!" He said Behold I have comein the volume of the book it is written of Meto do Your will, O God (Heb 10:7). He


set aside His glory! He put off His majesty! (see Phil 2:5-8) He laid aside all that rightfully belonged to Him in Heaven.

What Jesus did was incredible. We will never fully comprehend the immensity of the fact that He, who was rich and filled with all knowledge, power, and glory, the One who owned all of heaven, the eternal Godhead Himself, could put aside His glory. According to the Scriptures, He exchanged His riches and became poor, so that we could become rich.

God wants you to be rich in His glorynot only in heaven for all eternity but even while you are here on earth. This is what Jesus says in John 17:5-22. He was to return to heaven and once again receive the glory He had left behind by coming to earth. He then gave this glory to His disciples.

He came down from heaven and took upon Himself the form of a servant, even though He was the Son of God. He was human in every respect and performed no signs or wonders until He had been filled


with the Holy Spirit.

Power for Service

As Jesus stood in the River Jordan, the Holy Spirit came upon Him as a dove, and from that time on, He was clothed with power for His ministry. He was now ready to begin what the Father had called Him to doto destroy the works of the devil.

This is why the devil was so outraged when Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spiritand his reaction is the same when you too are filled with the Spirit. You thought life would be glorious and fantastic, but it turned out to be miserable. Suddenly everyone was angry with you and you could not understand why. The devil was angry. He was scared to death because you became effective as a Christian and his kingdom shook.

Nothing is as dangerous for the kingdom of the devil as a Spirit-filled Christian who is full of knowledge of God; one who knows who


he is, what he has, and who acts upon this knowledge! No one is more terrifying to the devil than this kind of person. No one else can live in such victory! This is how God wants you to be!

Anointed for Ministry

After He was filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was ready to begin His ministry. He would show mankind the new creation in action by the power of God. He was born of the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized in the Holy Spirit and equipped with God-given weapons.

Jesus said, "I can do nothing except what the Father tells me. I do the Father's works, and the Father's will. I subject myself to the Father" (see John 5:19,30; 8:28). He was aware of who He was and what He had.

Jesus functioned in all of the gifts of the Spirit, except speaking in other tongues and the interpretation of tongues. He used the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom.


The gifts of healing functioned through Him and He did mighty works. He knew what the Pharisees were thinking. He could discern the spirits and He cast out demons. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). The condition for all this was that He was anointed by the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus, who was the Son of God, needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to carry out His ministryhow much more will we need to be anointed by the Holy Spirit to complete what God has called us to do?

When God anointed Jesus Christ, He was able to manifest Himself through Him. In one respect, Jesus was an Old Testament prophet. Like the others, He too lived under the Old Covenant, but He was the only one ever to be born of God. He was the only one who had the light. John 1:5 says that the light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.


A Battle against Religiosity

Whenever the devil is really scared, he sends along religious people. This has always been the case, so it should not come as a surprise to us. To Jesus, he sent the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and temple servants.

Whatever Jesus did, they were against Him. The Sabbath was a wonderful day for doing good, so Jesus went about doing good and healing the sick on the Sabbath.

Once, there was a man with a withered hand to whom Jesus said, "Stretch out your hand." The man was healed, but the response from the religious people was, "You don't do that sort of thing on the Sabbath." The same reaction can be heard in many churches today, "We don't do that sort of thing here. We don't heal the sick here. We have never done it before, and we don't plan on changing, either!"

Some people rise up and resist God when they see His Spirit begin to flow. Vain


imaginations and strongholds rise up against the knowledge of God and try to stop the flow of His Spirit which sets people free.

It was no easier for Jesus' disciples. They found themselves in exactly the same situations. Peter said to the lame man at the gate called Beautiful, ...what I have I give you...rise up and walk (Acts 3:6) ...and the man who had been sitting there so long stood up, and began walking, leaping, and praising God!

The Pharisees, reacting just as they had with Jesus, said:

What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name (Acts 4:16-18).

The religious leaders brought the disciples before them and demanded to know


in whose authority and by what name they had done this healing. Peter replied, "We did it in the Name of Jesus, the Name that is above all other names." The man had received strength because of the Name of Jesus and faith in that Name; not because of the holiness or religious traditions of the disciples. Finally, finding nothing they could do to punish the disciples, the leaders threatened them and commanded them not to speak anymore in Jesus' Name.

The disciples experienced the same religiosity that Jesus had, throwing itself over them in an attempt to kill the life within them. But the darkness had no power over the disciples or over Jesus Christ.

Jesus said He had to work while it was day, for the night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4). What did He mean by "the night that was coming?" He was partly referring to the night that He Himself would have to endure.

Both the Pharisees and the Herodians decided to destroy Him. They tried to piece


together a false accusation against Him, but even their testimonies were inconsistent.

Dumbfounded Priests

They asked Jesus by what authority He did His works, and He answered them by asking whether the baptism of John was from heaven, or from men. If they could answer Him, He said He would also answer them. The priests knew that the people were persuaded that John was a prophet, so they said, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things," and He walked away.

He knew what was in the heart of man. Nothing could touch Him and nothing could overcome Him. The devil was unable to touch Jesus because He walked in constant victory. Darkness has no power against light.

The same is true in your life. 1 John 5:18 says that the wicked one cannot touch you. The devil is able to attack you and come


against you to a certain extent, but he cannot touch you.

Luke 10:19 says, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

If you walk in the Spirit and give Jesus Christ first place in your life, you will know who you are. You will know what you have in Jesus Christ, and the authority you have in His name. You will walk in tremendous protection! Although there will be attacks from the devil, you will find victory in every situation, with the weapons God has given you!

Overpowered Soldiers

The time then came for Judas to betray Jesus. You may say, "See, the devil did touch Jesus after all."

No, the devil did not touch Him at all. The soldiers and servants came out against Him as they would against a thief.


Jesus told them that He had stood and taught every day in the synagogue, but they were afraid and did not dare come forward.

Why didn't they arrest Him earlier?

Because they couldn't! Now, however, Jesus said "Whom are you seeking?"

"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.

"I am He," Jesus saidand they fell to the ground because of the glory of God. They could not resist the glory that filled Jesus as He stood there. The Bible says they fell three times before Jesus went with them. After His experience in Gethsemane, Jesus knew what would happen to Him. He gave His life. No one could take it from Him.

Pilate tried to threaten Him by asking, Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You? (John 19:10)

Jesus replies that he had no power at all except what had been given to him.

He gave His life for mankind of His own free will! He was in full control of His


circumstances, showing us that the new creation is called to rule in the way that Adam did.

God Made Him to Be Sin

Jesus gave His life on the cross. The Bible clearly says in Isaiah 53:4,5, that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, sicknesses, and sorrows. 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that God made Him to be sin for us, for Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Gal 3:13).

He took upon Himself all the sin of mankind, every sin that has been, or will ever be committed.

Every single crime committed by mankind was included the moment Jesus Christ bore our sins. He was made a curse so we could be blessed. He became poor so we could become rich (2 Cor 8:9). He took our sicknesses so we could be healthy. He died so we could have life!


The Devil Is Not All Knowing

The devil thought he had Jesus at lastthat finally he had succeeded in extinguishing the light that had gone around doing so much good. Jesus had healed the sick and was constantly spoiling and weakening the devil's kingdom. Once, when Jesus was casting out some demons, they cried out: What have we to do with You, Jesus...Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matt 8:29) This implies that the evil spirits knew that a time of judgment was coming but that they had not expected it to come so quickly or so effectively.

Remember that the devil does not know everything. We often seem to think that he knows more than God, but he is not that well-informed. He is not omniscient!

We have the Spirit of God, and we know more than the devil! We have received...the Spirit who is from God, that we might know


the things that have been freely given to us by God (1 Cor 2:12).

We are in a position of superiority! No one other than the Holy Spirit is able to comprehend the Spirit of man, for God's Spirit knows everything.

Lies are the Devil's Weapons

The devil cannot understand you. If you are born again, he does not know what is in your spirit. He cannot read your mind. He throws thoughts at you and waits to see what comes out of your mouth. He whispers, "Haven't you noticed that pain in your back?" If you admit that you have a backache, he exclaims, "It worked!" Then, he continues to attack you with fiery darts to see what you will say next.

However, if you go out fully clothed in the whole armor of Godthe breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit, your loins girded with truth, and your feet shod


with the preparation of the Gospel of peacethe devil cannot tell the difference between you and Jesus. If you are clothed in Jesus Christ, he cannot distinguish between the two of you. But if he throws a little stone at you and you respond, "Oh no, it looks as if it's going to be one of those days!" the devil says, "So it was only you after all. Why should I be afraid?"

As you keep your confession in line with the Word of God and continue to speak it, the Word of God on your tongue will triumph over the devil wherever you go. On the other hand, if you focus on your circumstances as soon as they begin to feel slightly uncomfortable, the devil will see that you do not really believe what you say.

The person who knows and believes that the devil is defeated will also experience his defeat in the practical circumstances of life.

Jesus Won the Victory!

How then, was the devil defeated? He


was convinced that he had conquered Jesus.

We have seen that Jesus took on Himself our sins and weaknesses and was made to be sin. Then, He died and went to hell. There, according to the Scriptures, just when the devil thought that he had finally defeated Him, God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. Death could no longer hold Him, for God had freed Him from its agony (Acts 2:24 NIV).

He who was life itself had committed no evil, and God was therefore entitled to raise Him from the dead. His was a worthy sacrifice for the sin of mankind. Like a flash of lightning, with the power of the Holy Spirit, God raised Jesus from the dead.

The Bible tells us what happened next: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (Col 2:15).

Jesus entered the devil's own territory, and took the weapons out of his hands. He stripped him of his rank and made a public


display of him before the principalities and powers. He made it clear that the devil was completely disarmed, and He broke the devil's most destructive weapon of all: the sting of death.

Therefore, all those who put their faith in Jesus are no longer under the power of the devil!

You are Declared "Not Guilty!"

Colossians 2:14 says that Jesus took the list of sins that we were charged with and destroyed it by nailing it to the cross. The devil had used the law against man by telling him, "You have done wrong," and man could only reply "Yes, I know...." This had held man in bondage until Jesus tore up the list of accusations against him.

Jesus also took captivity captive. He overcame the principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them in the spirit world, clearly demonstrating that He was


Lord of all.

After His resurrection, Jesus went to heaven. On the way, He met Mary and told her, "Do not touch me!" As the great high priest, He was about to present His own blood in the heavenly holy of holies. There the Father declared that His sacrifice was completely sufficient for the whole world!

Mankind could now be declared righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Every man and woman has been given the opportunity to be set free from the bondage and slavery to which they have been subject under the authority of the kingdom of darkness. Now they can be transferred into the Kingdom of Light. Man is now able to experience the freedom and authority that was intended for him from the beginning. In fact, our position is even better than that which Adam and Eve had when they walked together with God in the Garden of Eden.


We Rule with Him

The Scriptures say that the Father has raised us up and seated us together with Christ in heaven. We are seated there today, and we rule, reign, and work together with Him (Eph 2:6). At the same time, Jesus carries out His ministry as our High Priest, praying and interceding for us daily.

When the accuser comes along and says, "This person has not read his Bible for two weeks and he has done this, that and the other," Jesus answers, "I have died for him. I am his advocate. My blood is sufficient to cover that."

The next day, the devil comes once more with his accusations. Again Jesus answers, "I have died for him and I pray for him. My Father hears and answers my prayers, so you have no right to touch him. He is my brother and a child of God. I watch over him and the Holy Spirit lives within him!"

I believe that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and prays His high


priestly prayers in and through us by the Holy Spirit when we speak in other tongues. Jesus prays through us when we speak and pray in the Spirit, and His prayers are always answered. If you pray according to the will of God, you too will experience this.

The Devil was Shocked!

The devil had breathed a sigh of relief when Jesus died, but was suddenly horrified to see Him raised from the dead. The shock was so terrible, in fact, that it left him paralyzed. When Hebrews 2:14 says that Jesus destroyed him that had the power of death, it literally means that He paralyzed him.

Jesus, now seated at the Father's right hand, poured out the Holy Spirit on the Church. The one hundred and twenty who had shut themselves in the upper room were filled with the Spirit and completely changed by the power of God. They began to speak in other tongues and were filled with joy, peace


and life itself. No demon could stop them from going out to speak about Jesus now.

This really scared the devil! Not only had he been unsuccessful in his attempt to kill Jesus, who rose from the dead because death could not hold Himhe now had to deal with one hundred and twenty others who were filled with the same Spirit that Jesus had! The number soon increased to three thousand, five thousand, ten thousand, fifteen thousand, one hundred thousand, one million, two million, three million, etc.

There were enough problems with only one Jesus. Now there were millions of them, all doing exactly what He had done. What was the devil going to do about this?

Free to Serve

This is your new identity. Jesus came to live within you when you were born again. You can do the works He did, because He is in you. You receive power when you are born again. When you have been baptized in the


Holy Spirit, then the gifts of the Spirit begin to function in your life.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon you. He has anointed you to preach the Gospel. He has anointed you to set the captives free. You are able to do this because He has said, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:20).

Don't be Deceived

This frightens the devil so much that he changes his strategy. He tries to make you shy and timid. He tells you that you are worthless, that your life is meaningless, and that the older you get, the worse it will be!

He wants you to identify with your past life and with the old things the Bible says have passed away. If the devil can make you identify with your weaknesses and your shortcomings, then what is in your spirit cannot be released.


We Can Do the Same!

But in Jesus Christ, it can and will be turned loose!

God has made you a new creation. In His eyes all new creations are equal, all are loved, and Jesus lives within each of us. The power of God can flow through us, enabling us to do exactly what Jesus did. He is our example of how to live and behave as new creations. If Jesus did it, then we can do it toobecause we have His Spirit!

The first disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit to such an extent that entire cities wondered what had hit them and every inhabitant was healed! We should be able to live and work in the same way. There is no difference between us whatsoever! We have the same Holy Spirit, the same God, the same Bible, the same Jesus, and He has said of Himself that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

He has promised that we will not only


see healing, but that the time is coming when we will see great miracles as well. When you lay your hands or place a prayer cloth on the sick, they will be healed. This is the way God wants it. He has nothing at all against people being set free!

God wants His people to live in freedom. He does not want to see us sitting inactive and oppressed in a church somewhere. He wants us to live in freedom, to enter His gates with joy, to rejoice before him, and to walk in freedom.

The devil has thrown dead religion at us as a poor substitute for true spiritual life. However, if you have been born again, this life is in your spirit, and God has called you to serve Him in freedom.

God can do through you everything He did through Jesus Christ, because Jesus was the Son of Man. The Son of Man is an example of what God wants done here on earth. He is an example of what He wants to do through you.


Jesus Destroyed the Works of the Devil

Jesus came to earth to destroy the works of the devil. He had one aim in sight: to stop Satan, crush his kingdom, and annihilate his work. When Jesus came to earth, He invaded the kingdom of darkness. When He came to earthheaven invaded earth to bring deliverance!

In Luke 11:20-22, Jesus teaches us that He is the stronger man who attacked the strong man, the devil, overcame him, took his weapons, and divided the spoils.

The devil was in possession of stolen goods that he had acquired when man fell into sin and became his slave. He had stolen our abundance, our peace, our health, our prosperity, and our blessings in every area of life.

Since the Fall, man has been robbed of an enormous amount of precious treasure, due to his own sin and rebellion against God.


By committing sin, man gave the devil the right to steal his life. The devil then began to carry out his works in and through mankind.

In John 10:10, Jesus says that the thief, Satan, comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. This is exactly why Jesus came to earth, to put an end to Satan's works!

How was Jesus able to do this? By the Spirit of the Lord who came upon Him, enabling Him to preach the gospel to the poor...to heal the brokenhearted, To preach deliverance to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18,19).

Jesus destroyed the works of the devil every time He taught from the Scriptures and preached the Gospel. Why? Because the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and when Jesus said, "It is written," Satan had to flee.

Jesus destroyed the works of the devil every time He forgave someone's sins. Why?


Because sin is from the enemy and forgiveness erases and forgets sin, restoring the person who has fallen so he escapes from the snare of the enemy.

Whenever Jesus healed the sick, whether through the spoken Word, by the laying on of hands, or by allowing them to touch the hem of His garment, He destroyed the works of the devil. Why? Because the devil is the source of sickness. Sickness is not sent from God to bless, teach or sanctify. Jesus said that sickness comes from the devil. It is an oppressive yoke and a burden, and Jesus came to heal all who were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38).

Jesus destroyed the works of the devil every time He cast out demons, something He did regularly. Satan's territory was restricted and another kingdom was enlarged insteadthe Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God

Romans 14:17 tells us that the Kingdom


of God consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus brought with Him. He spread righteousness, peace, and joy wherever He went. His Kingdom is full of these things. Jesus is the Lord and King of His Kingdom, and these qualities can be found wherever He is Lord. Wherever He is not Lord, however, the works of the devil are found.

Condemnation is the opposite of righteousness. Jesus is not Lord where people walk around full of condemnation, no matter how religious their words may sound.

The opposite of peace is contention, quarreling, jealousy, and so forth. Where such things are found, it is Satan and not Jesus who is Lord. The name of the church or group does not matter. Jesus is not Lord where these things are found.

The opposite of joy is heaviness, sadness, depression, and anguish. These things are from our enemynot from God. They are the works of the devil and not the works of God; and Jesus came to destroy them.


The Devil is Defeated!

Jesus struck Satan a deathblow on the cross. He was defeated once and for all, and this is how he should be regarded. Jesus has triumphed over him. Since Jesus has triumphed over him, why should the devil triumph over you? You are in Christ Jesus! You are seated with Him at the right hand of the Father. You have the same Spirt working in and through you as Jesus had while He was here on earth. 1 John 4:17 states that as He is, so are we in this world.

The battle has already been won because Jesus won it for you. You need to see your enemy as already defeated, stripped, naked, and powerless. He is a boastful liar. He is not as powerful as he pretends to be. He is not as well-informed as he says he is. He cannot put all his threats into action against you, as long as you refuse to believe the lies that allow him to work.

Jesus came to this earth with the express purpose of destroying the works of


the deviland he did not fail.

Jesus never fails! He has won the victory!

The Victory is Ours!

The decisive battle has already taken place. Now you and I are engaged in the cleaning-up activities behind the front lines of a defeated enemy. Although he has been defeated, we must proclaim this to the spirit world. We must make Satan's defeat manifest by doing the works of Jesus and by setting free those whom Jesus has already liberated through His death and resurrection. They need to hear that they have been set free. They need to receive the freedom that is already theirs. They need to see what has been stolen from them. They need to discover their blood-bought rights in Christ Jesus.

You have been given authority to use the victory that Jesus won. You have permission to enjoy the benefits of His triumph. You


have the right to share in His victory, a right that is yours because of the fact that He has given you His Name.

Romans 10:12 says, ...the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. Through the power of His Name, Jesus has now lawfully returned to you the life and blessings that are rightfully yours.

That Name has given you the authority to destroy the works of the devil. In the Name of Jesus you are to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, and set the captives free.

You can do exactly what Jesus has done, because your enemy is already defeated. When you understand this, you will never be the same. You will see the gift God has given to you and the wonderful mission He has for you. Wherever you are, whatever your occupation, and whatever your age, you have been given an enormous task. Using the Name of Jesus, you are called to destroy the works of the devil, make manifest Satan's defeat, and see the glory of the Kingdom of


God shining through men and women who have been set free. You are called to this, you are chosen for this, and you have been given everything you need to accomplish it.

You will not fail with Jesus. If you understand this, your enemy will realize that he has found a true opponent. He knows that you know that he is defeated. He knows that you know that your mission is to destroy his works.

He cannot stop you because you understand what God has called you to do. You know that he is defeated, and the result is inevitableVictory!

Through your life, the works of the devil will be destroyed. As a result, righteousness, peace, and joy will come to many people. So get up and get to work!

Go and destroy the work of the enemy!

By Ulf Ekman

A Life of VictoryThe Apostolic Ministry

The Authority in the Name of JesusDestined for Victory

Destroy the Works of the DevilDoctrineThe Foundations of the Christian

FaithFaith that Overcomes the World

Financial FreedomGod is a Good God

God, the State and the IndividualGod Wants to Heal Everyone

The Holy SpiritJesus Died for You

The JewsPeople of the FutureThe Power in The New Creation

The Prophetic MinistryYour Capacity in God

Destroy the Works of the DevilPreface1 Destroy the Works of the Devil!A Bad StartAfraid of GodSlaves of the DevilGod's CovenantThen Jesus Came!He Came to Serve!What an Exchange!Power for ServiceAnointed for MinistryA Battle against ReligiosityDumbfounded PriestsOverpowered SoldiersGod Made Him to Be SinThe Devil Is Not All KnowingLies are the Devil's WeaponsJesus Won the Victory!You are Declared "Not Guilty!"We Rule with HimThe Devil was Shocked!Free to ServeDon't be DeceivedWe Can Do the Same!Jesus Destroyed the Works of the DevilThe Kingdom of GodThe Devil is Defeated!The Victory is Ours!

By Ulf Ekman

Date post:	26-Nov-2015
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Destroy the Works of the Devil - Ekman

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