1 John 3:8 says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” This verse gives us insight into the works of the devil that Jesus came to destroy.
The Devil is a Sinner
First, this verse makes it clear that the devil is a sinner. It says he has been sinning from the beginning, meaning since his creation as an angel named Lucifer, he rebelled against God and has been in constant sin ever since. His sinful nature drives him to oppose God’s will and tempt humans to sin.
The Devil Promotes Sin
Because the devil is inherently sinful, one of his primary works is enticing people to sin. He tempts and deceives people into rebelling against God. Some of the sins the devil promotes include:
- Lying
- Stealing
- Cheating
- Hatred
- Jealousy
- Pride
- Greed
- Lust
- Envy
He exploits human desires and weaknesses to draw people into patterns of sin. His goal is to prevent people from submitting to God and having a relationship with Him.
The Devil Seeks to Destroy
The devil is described in John 10:10 as the thief who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Destruction is core to the devil’s nature. Some examples of his destructive works include:
- Destroying relationships
- Destroying emotional wellbeing through depression, anxiety, anger, etc.
- Destroying lives through addiction
- Destroying health through sickness, injury, and disease
- Destroying peace through conflict, division, and strife
- Destroying finances through greed, debt, unemployment
- Destroying society through crime, violence, corruption
- Destroying creation through pollution, extinction, climate change
The devil seeks to ruin anything good that God has created. He manifests this destructive impulse in small and large ways.
The Devil Rules the World System
The Bible describes the devil as “the ruler of this world” in John 12:31. Though he has authority in this fallen world, the devil does not have absolute power. But he does heavily influence the sinful world system in the following ways:
- Promoting greed, consumerism, and materialism
- Spreading corruption in institutions like government, media, corporations, etc.
- Sowing conflict and division between people groups
- Spreading misleading philosophies opposed to God’s truth
- Promoting pride, ego, celebrity worship
- Spreading sensuality and sexual immorality
The devil manipulates culture to make sin appear normal and righteousness appear strange. He promotes his evil agenda through various means in society.
The Devil Blinds People to the Gospel
One of the devil’s most insidious works is keeping people blinded to the truth of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” The devil uses lies, false religions, distractions, busyness, bitterness, pride, and fears to prevent people from responding to the message of Christ.
He keeps them trapped in the kingdom of darkness so they cannot find salvation. This spiritual blindness leads to eternal damnation, which is the ultimate goal of the devil – to drag as many souls as possible to hell with him.
The Devil Accuses and Slanders Believers
Even after someone becomes a Christian, the devil continues attacking them. Revelation 12:10 describes him as “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night.” He brings up past sins, points out current weaknesses, and makes Christians feel ashamed, doubtful, and condemned.
The devil also slanders believers by spreading lies about them. He twists weaknesses into something evil, makes moral failures seem worse than they are, and delights in attacking reputations and destroying ministries. Accusation and slander are some of his most commonly used weapons against Christians.
The Devil Afflicts with Suffering
Though all suffering is not directly from the devil, he does cause some afflictions. Job 1 shows Satan inflicting Job with horrible plagues. In Luke 13:16, Jesus healed a woman “whom Satan bound for eighteen years.” 2 Corinthians 12:7 mentions a “messenger of Satan” that tormented Paul. The devil has some power to afflict human bodies and minds.
Suffering is used by the devil to discourage us, weaken our faith, and make us bitter against God. But God can use that same suffering to produce Christ-like character if we keep trusting Him through the trial.
The Devil Sows Discord in Churches
One of the devil’s sneakiest plots is sowing discord, divisions, and false teachings in churches. He can pit members against each other through gossip, offenses, and stirring discontent. He plants false teachers who introduce destructive heresies that lead people astray.
Churches torn by infighting and deception cannot effectively shine the light of Christ. The devil loves sabotaging unity, quenching the Spirit, and sidetracking believers with endless controversies.
The Devil Promotes Persecution of Believers
Though persecution ultimately strengthens the church, the devil seeks to use it to destroy faith. He stirs up governments, communities, and religious leaders to oppress Christians. In many parts of the world, believers are imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their faith.
Persecution is one of the devil’s weapons to discourage evangelism, silence preaching, and wipe out emerging Christian movements. Yet God uses the faith and witness of persecuted Christians to plant His church stronger than ever.
The Devil Leads the Demonic Realm
The Bible speaks of the devil leading a host of fallen angels and demons to carry out his works. They infiltrate society and possess people. Demons afflict, harass, deceive, tempt, lie, steal, and destroy based on the devil’s direction. This vast demonic network furthers the kingdom of darkness across the world.
Yet Christ came to destroy all the works of the devil, including binding the strong man (Mark 3:27) and stripping demons of their power. At the cross, Jesus decisively defeated Satan and broke his power.
Christ Defeated the Devil’s Works
1 John 3:8 promises Jesus came to destroy all the works of the devil summarized above. At the cross, Christ paid the punishment for sin, so Satan can no longer condemn believers. In the resurrection, Christ defeated death itself, the devil’s ultimate weapon.
Jesus destroyed the power of sin, addiction, corruption, blindness, accusation, persecution, demonic oppression, and every other weapon in the devil’s arsenal. The church continues Christ’s work of demolishing Satan’s kingdom until He returns to establish His eternal kingdom.
Though the devil remains active today, Christians have the power through Christ to crush his works and advance the Kingdom of God. We can walk in the victory Christ achieved on the cross. His death and resurrection destroyed the works of the devil and broke his power over humanity forever.
