Christ Conquered the Strong Man on the Cross - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 07/07/24

This message was originally recorded December 27, 2015.

My notes:

Doug begins this study with the consideration of theodicy, "the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil". 'Why does a loving God allow such evil things to happen to His people?' People also ask, 'Where was God when this was happening?' Isaiah 63:9 "In all their affliction He was afflicted." The answer is that He was right there experiencing the suffering. As for justice?... it's coming and will be perfect. Doug's series on The Celestial Court addresses this (see Video Page).

 

Doug has taught on the justice Jesus bore on the cross 2,000 years ago, the forgiveness of sins; but there's the eternal retribution coming for those who died in their sinful unregenerate state. God judged Jesus Christ on that cross for all the sins of all mankind, including the sins of Hitler, Mengele, Mao, Stalin, etc.

 

But how does God deal with the unspeakable sins against humanity, especially the body and bride of Christ, by Satan, principalities and powers, and Nephilim hybrids? "As Paul describes it in Colossians Chapter 1 (verse 20), it is the reconciling of all things through His cross." "On the cross, God not only dealt with the sin issue, He dealt with principalities and powers. He dealt with the 'strong man'. But how did He do it? He dealt with it in Satan's proxy - the flesh... his means of articulating himself in fallen mankind." God vindicates His righteous judgment on Satan and the fallen angels (to send them to an eternal lake of fire) through the cross. And the criterion God uses to prove their guilt is the church and what she has endured these 2,000 years. (Again: The Celestial Court series will help explain this.)

 

Doug explains the cross as being "supratemporal ... that which is transcendent beyond time and space. The cross is not only a historical event; it's trans dimensional. It encompasses all that which represents God's judgment against sin - past, present and future - including the sin of angels." "On the cross, God in Christ plundered the strong man... by the circumcision of Christ in the removal of the flesh, He judged principalities and powers... He takes that which represents the result of the fall, flesh, and in that flesh He disarms principalities and powers... by putting it to death." That circumcision on the cross was spiritual - "The flesh is removed in the circumcision of Christ; what we are in Adam, removed... The flesh dies in the circumcision of Christ; the old man dies." The flesh is the ground Satan has access to. When Christ died, we died; the old man, our flesh, was removed. Therefore Satan's access to us was removed. However, when we go back to living in the realm of that old man, this gives Satan ground and access to us.

 

What did God do to take away the strong man's armor? "What is that armor? Flesh! The old man! Everything in you and me that's on the other side of the cross, good and sinful... relatively good... religious... self-righteous. That's how He dealt with it. He not only deals with sin; He deals with the best of man. "

 

So, what is our defense against Satan? Can he get to us to devour us? "What man is now in Christ as the new creation, he has no access. Satan has no access to who we are in our new creation identity as new." So how did we get there? 2,000 years ago we in Adam, the first creation, died. "For you have died and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). The enemy cannot touch the new man hidden with Christ in God. It's when we step out of who we are in Christ, the new humanity, back into who we are (were) in Adam, our flesh, that Satan has access to us. This is why we must consistently "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts" (i.e.: desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden) (Romans 13:13).

 

As this binding the strong man and plundering his possessions includes the activity of the body of Christ during the church age, Doug points out, "When we're in spiritual warfare, we never fight for victory. We're called to stand in a victory that is already ours in Jesus Christ. He's already won... We execute the judgment written... We enforce the fact that you are under us, Satan."

 

Getting back to why God allows the principalities and powers to hurt His blood-bought sons and daughters, "What they're doing to the survivor, they're doing to Him... and He's keeping score!" "Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip; for the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them." (Deuteronomy 32:35)

 

This is another of those teachings that is so condensed and has so much to offer that there is no chance we'll be able to digest it all in one sitting. A good friend of mine equates much of Doug's teaching as at a seminary level. In my opinion, I doubt there are many such seminaries today that actually teach up to this level of spiritual truth and depth. Our pulpits today demonstrate this quite succinctly.

 

Link to audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/12-27-15+sunday+assembly.mp3

 

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!