THE COST OF VICTORY. Hebrews 2:14 The Son of God became the Son of Man, a human with flesh and blood, so He could deliver us from the power of death, which the devil uses to defeat those who yield to his influence and deception. As the only perfect human, Jesus could destroy the devil, who brought down the human race into sin and darkness, separation from God, and He could also free those who trust in Him from the bondage of sin. Sin controls the lives of those with only a sinful nature unless they put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Death is an enemy feared by everyone because it has a “sting” caused by sin. The scripture clearly states that judgment follows death, and our conscience confirms this, even though many try to deny that there is anything after life. Deep down, we know that justice demands payment for actions. There is no real comfort or purpose in living if all our efforts can disappear in an instant with no future benefits.
Some people are actually afraid that there is no life after death because that would make everything we have done and strived for meaningless. If death ends everything, honor, truth, morality, allegiance, faith, and even love have no real purpose. The “Son,” Jesus, had to become human so He could deliver God’s people from the fear of physical and spiritual death. The devil holds captive those who do not know the “True God and Jesus Christ,” who is the Savior of the world. “Children” are God’s redeemed people, and because we are flesh and blood, He had to become the same to fully identify with us. Then He could die and rise again to destroy the power of the devil. Only Christ could do this.
When our Lord Jesus Christ became a “partaker of flesh and blood” like all humanity, He came in the likeness of sinful flesh without knowing sin in Himself, being impervious to sin, and not committing sin. He entered this world not in power and glory, but “being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” He became like us in “all things” except sin. As a child, He was taught and learned; He grew in wisdom and, as a human soul, His holiness was evident.
He grew physically. He loved, rejoiced, was saddened, and sometimes was righteously angry. He was zealous in His efforts to please the Father, and He was intense in His emotions, “having loved His own, He loved them unto the end.” He was truly a man in His body, soul, and spirit. When He “tasted death,” He didn’t merely touch it, but was immersed in its length and intensity. He “tasted death” by grace, and He demonstrated grace, even though He was always sinlessly perfect.
God allowed the power of death that the devil held. His strength was not in himself. His control over humanity as slaves to sin could only be broken by removing the sin that caused it; human beings chose sin of their own free will. The rightful judgment for sin by our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins in His own body on the cross, was transferred to Him. He was made to be sin on our behalf so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him. Our sins were laid upon Him, who was innocent, sinless, and pure, by God, whose justice needed to be satisfied.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not destroy or “bring to nothing" the devil through His life and all the good things He did or the bad things He refused to do. It was “through death” that He rendered the devil powerless. He became a “propitiation” through faith in His blood and by bearing our sins. On the cross, He took away the guilt that sin caused. When He was crucified, we were crucified; when He died, we died; and when He rose again from the dead, we were raised to walk in newness of life. We have been set free from the bondage, guilt, and consequences of sin. When Jesus rose from the dead, He did so as a Victor over sin, death, and the devil. His death has redeemed our sins; we, as slaves to sin, have been redeemed—dead to sin but alive to God. Not only have we died with Christ, but we have also been raised in our risen Christ. We are free from bondage and fear, and we are brought into the light of life in Christ!