10月31日

標　　題：被擊敗的敵人

經　　節：既將一切執政的、掌權的擄來，明顯給眾人看，就仗著十字架誇勝。（歌羅西書二章15節）

基督徒的呼召並不是去擊敗撒但，因為神已經在基督裡戰勝撒但!我們的任務也不是去[捆綁]撒但，因為耶穌已經限制了撒但的活動範圍和時間。撒但——我們古老的仇敵——已經被基督十字架的犧牲及復活徹底打敗。對於撒但，我們的任務是：信任基督已得勝利，並且每日舉起撒但已被打敗的真理抵擋牠，誠如耶穌所做的一樣。

撒但是說謊人之父和說謊者(約翰福音八：44)。倘若你被牠說服，認為神並沒有擊敗牠，你就無法體驗到耶穌的勝利。你會發現自己還在打那場基督早巳得勝的戰爭!你會懼怕撒但，雖然牠已經被徹底地打敗。事實上，你的責任是去抵擋魔鬼，牠就會落荒而逃(雅各書四：7)。當你抵擋牠的時候，你知道耶穌已經戰勝牠，並且你也戰勝牠想掀起的影響。神已經賜給你屬靈的軍裝，足以抵禦撒但任何的攻擊(以弗所書六：10—20)。

基督徒可能全心注意與撒但爭戰。如此一來，他們被欺騙，把時間及精力投資在基督已經做過的事。如果撒但使你分心，去打一場牠早被打敗、早就結束的戰役，牠會除去神要給你的效率。畏懼撒但，就如懼怕一個被囚的戰俘一樣。你根本沒有需要或呼召去擊敗撒但；你只需將基督的勝利應用在生活每個層面，過得勝基督徒的生活。當你與其它人分享福音的信息時，撒但與牠的軍團正面對一個事實，就是在每個屬神國度的生命中，牠們早被打敗了。

A Defeated Enemy

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)

Christians are not called to defeat Satan. God has already done that in Christ! Nor is it our mandate to “bind” Satan. Jesus has already set limits on the extent and duration of Satan’s freedom. Satan, “our ancient foe,” was decisively and completely defeated by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and in His resurrection. With regard to Satan, our assignment is to trust in the victory that Christ already achieved and daily resist him with the truth of his defeat, as Jesus did.

Satan is the father of lies and a master deceiver (John 8:44). If he can convince you that God has not defeated him, then you will not experience Jesus’ victory. You will find yourself fighting battles that Christ has already won! You will fear Satan though he has already been utterly and humiliatingly defeated. Your responsibility is to resist Satan, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). When you resist him, you are acknowledging that Jesus has defeated him and given you victory over his influence. God has provided you with spiritual armor that is more than sufficient to withstand any assault by Satan (Eph. 6:10–20).

Christians can become preoccupied with battling Satan. This deceives them to invest their time and energy attempting to do something that Christ has already done for them. If Satan can divert you to wage a warfare that has already ended in surrender, he will have eliminated your effectiveness where God wants you. Fearing Satan is fearing a prisoner of war. You have no need or calling to defeat Satan, you need only to apply Christ’s victory in every area of your life and to live the victorious Christian life. As you go about sharing the gospel message with others, Satan and his forces face the reality of their defeat in each life that is claimed by the kingdom of God (Luke 10:17–20).