Victory Over the Devil
A Sermon on Galatians 6:14
Originally preached Nov. 17, 1963
Scripture
14But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Sermon Description
Paul tells us that the cross of Christ delivers us from the power of the devil. How? And why are things in this world the way they are? In this sermon on Galatians 6:14, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps us to understand the spiritual warfare that is at play behind everything we see and why it is so important to understand this other battle going on behind the scenes. All that is bad in the world today is not due merely to human nature, but also to spiritual warfare. Satan, through sin, has consumed people with a passion of antagonism against God. The whole human race has become slaves of Satan. How? Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows us from Scripture how he dominates and controls the mind. Additionally, Satan works through people’s desires to get them to commit sins and acts of atrocity for their own gain. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages us to see the spiritual battle raging behind the scenes in the events of Scripture, providing many examples. How can one escape from this control? Through the cross. All men are under this power unless saved by the power of the Gospel. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages us to repent from our sins and believe in Christ today to be delivered!
Sermon Breakdown
- The unseen spiritual world influences the physical world. There are two main forces: God and the devil.
- The devil rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. He now seeks to oppose God's will and ruin His creation.
- The devil tempted Adam and Eve, who sinned and fell from grace. This allowed the devil to gain control over humanity.
- The devil blinds people to the truth and gospel. He makes them hate God and rebel against Him.
- The devil controls people's minds, desires, wills, and lives. He produces fear, especially of death and judgment.
- The devil's power comes from humanity's estrangement from God. As long as people are in sin, the devil has control over them.
- Only God's power can overcome the devil. But people must first be reconciled to God.
- Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and free humanity from his control. Jesus defeated the devil through His death on the cross.
- On the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for sin and reconciled humanity to God. This allowed God's power to overcome the devil's control.
- Before the cross, the devil controlled the Gentile nations. But after the cross, the gospel spread and people of all nations were freed from the devil's power.
- The cross is the ultimate display of Jesus triumphing over the devil and his forces. It shows Jesus as the conqueror and victor.
- Christians can glory in the cross because it defeated humanity's greatest enemy, the devil, and freed them from his control.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.