THE TEMPTER FAILED. The devil tried to bring man down to hell, but he failed. In the end, by the grace of God, by the power and by the wisdom of God, fallen man will be raised up to inherit everlasting life and ineffable glory by believing in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Saviour, who defeated the evil tempter on our behalf. “Therefore, God exalted Jesus the Christ to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” “For as in Adam all die, so all who are in Christ will be made alive.” Philippians 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:22.

Don’t think of the tragic fall of man in Eden as an unforeseen and accidental event, but as the necessary part of God’s redemptive plan through which the wicked devil will be shamefully crushed. And at the end, when God’s plan is fulfilled, God will be exceedingly glorified, and His wisdom shall be vindicated, and everyone shall acknowledge God’s sovereignty and holiness; and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. God has absolute sovereignty over all things, whether in heaven above or on earth below; and God’s sovereign plan for redemption spans all of history, and through His plan and at the end of time, God will reveal His glory; and the Son of God will be praised and will be loved and will be adored forever, Amen.

“In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, forever and ever! Amen.’” Revelation 5:12-13. God is in total control, whether we discern it or not, whether we like it or not. God’s sovereign plan works through all events for the ultimate good of His redeemed people. Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:19-20.

The fall, while catastrophic, merely prepared the way of salvation by faith and by the blood of the Lamb, which is an even greater and higher exhibition of the mercy, goodness, justice and faithfulness of God, who saw the end from the beginning. It is He who said, “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My good pleasure, I will accomplish all My purpose.’” Isaiah 46:10; Genesis 3:14-15, 21-24. 

Rejoice because we have obtained the forgiveness of our sins through faith, and righteousness is restored to us, and we are reconciled to God and know Him as Father, and we have the promise of the Holy Spirit, and we have access to the Tree of Life. The tempter, the serpent, the adversary, the devil, has failed and is doomed. Rejoice if you’re a child of God. Receive the victory!