What Was Accomplished on the Cross
1 John 3:8–9
Dear beloved in Christ,
Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, when we remember the day Jesus Christ entered the city of Jerusalem, and the multitudes welcomed Him with palm branches in their hands.
In the ancient Near East, palm trees held a special symbolic meaning. They could thrive in the harshest desert conditions, withstand powerful winds like tornadoes, and resist insects and pests. Because of their resilience, palm trees were often seen as a symbol of an unyielding king who remains steadfast amid trials and suffering.
So when the people waved palm branches to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, they were not merely greeting a traveler; they were receiving Him as their King, acknowledging Him as their Savior and Messiah.
Not only that, but they also spread their garments on the road before Him. In Scripture, garments often symbolize human righteousness.
Isaiah 64:6 says,
“All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
By laying down their garments, the people were doing more than showing honor — they were symbolically laying down their own righteousness, choosing instead to humbly receive the rule and authority of the One who is truly righteous.
The prophet Zechariah had foretold this moment in Zechariah 9:9:
“Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Jesus entered Jerusalem in precisely this way — not in worldly majesty, but in meekness and humility, fulfilling the prophecy of the humble King.
And immediately after entering the city, the first thing He did was to go to the temple.
There, He drove out those who were buying and selling, condemning them for turning His Father’s house into a den of robbers.
Jesus declared,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Mark 11:17)
This moment invites us to reflect deeply on our own hearts.
The temple in Scripture is a symbol of our inner being, our heart — the dwelling place of God.
And just as there were corrupt merchants in the physical temple, there are spiritual robbers within us — namely, Satan and the desires of the flesh.
When prayer disappears from our hearts and self-centered desires take the throne, our hearts cease to be holy dwelling places for God.
Thus, the true meaning of Palm Sunday goes far beyond emotional celebration.
It is a day to receive Christ not only as Savior but as King, and to purify the temple of our hearts for His reign.
God delights in such worship — the worship that comes from genuine repentance and wholehearted surrender.
And I believe He will pour out abundant grace on every heart that responds to Him today in this way.
1 John 3:8 proclaims this truth:
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
This is the very essence of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
He came to destroy the works of Satan — sin, death, deception, and bondage — and in doing so, to restore us as children of God.
1 John 3:9 goes on to describe the fruit of this redemption:
“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning… for he has been born of God.”
Beloved, this morning I want to share three key truths based on this Scripture:
I. What Are the Works of the Devil?
The devil was originally an angel who became proud and sought to be like God. Because of his rebellion, he was cast out of heaven. His primary mission now is to distort the Word of God and lead people into unbelief and disobedience.
When God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the devil tempted him through the serpent, saying, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4–5). In that moment, Adam and Eve placed their own reasoning above the Word of God, and their disobedience became the entry point of sin into the world.
Even today, the devil continues to plant seeds of doubt concerning Scripture and seeks to keep people from receiving Christ as King. One of the philosophies he uses to undermine faith in the Creator is evolutionism. While often presented under the guise of “science,” evolution theory is built on a philosophical premise that denies the existence and authority of the Creator God.
Charles Darwin, the founder of evolutionary theory, once wrote in a personal letter:
“I do not believe in the Bible as a divine revelation, and therefore not in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.”
This letter was auctioned in New York in 2015 for $197,000. The high value attributed to this letter likely stems from the fact that Darwin’s words have become a symbol of rejection of biblical authority for many who oppose faith in God.
But we, as believers, hold to a different conviction. We believe that everything created must have first been designed. Human beings cannot manufacture life, yet every living creature contains a highly complex and precisely ordered genetic code. Such intricate design cannot be explained merely by chance or natural law; it points to a Creator. We believe that this world was created by the infinite wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 11:33).
Among all creation, human beings were uniquely made to be God’s stewards—called to govern and care for creation according to His will (Genesis 1:28). To fulfill this role, God breathed His own Spirit into mankind (Genesis 2:7).
Just as the body contains genetic DNA, so too our spirit is made to function under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Only when the Spirit of God dwells in us do we gain the wisdom and strength to rightly manage God’s creation according to His will (1 Corinthians 2:12–13).
The devil’s teaching, on the other hand, plants the lie that “death is the end—there is nothing after.” But Scripture tells us otherwise.
“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
All people will face judgment before God. Those who remain under the devil’s deception and reject the truth will be cast into hell, the place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10, 15).
Therefore, we must be alert and discerning of the schemes of the enemy. We must hold firmly to the truth of God’s Word, which is spirit and life (John 6:63), and the truth that sets us free (John 8:32). Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and living under the leadership of the Holy Spirit can we overcome the works of the devil and live as true children of God.
II. How Did Jesus Destroy the Works of the Devil?
Hebrews 11:3 tells us,
“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
This means that faith begins with believing that all things were created by God through His word. Jesus, therefore, gives us the faith to believe that the entire universe was created by the Word of God.
As Romans 10:17 declares,
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Faith is born through the hearing of God’s word. And when we hear the message of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to produce genuine faith — the conviction that Jesus is the one who saves me personally.
Through this faith, we begin to discern the teachings of the devil, to recognize his lies, and to understand that his claims are false.
In this way, the works of the devil are destroyed in those who believe.
All people, by nature, have been influenced by the mindset of the devil, leading to disobedience against God. The devil seeks to make people proud, encouraging them to elevate their own reasoning above the Word of God.
However, when one truly believes the Word of God, he cannot remain proud — he is humbled.
Why? Because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humbled Himself first.
Jesus was obedient to the Father, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). He willingly lowered Himself to the lowest place, taking on the form of a servant.
Those who follow Christ’s example of humility confess that they too have been crucified with Him, and as a result, they are led into a life of genuine humility.
This is one of the ways in which Jesus destroys the works of the devil.
Furthermore, the devil incites people to judge, slander, and hate one another. He seeks to divide and sow discord in human relationships.
But Jesus did the exact opposite. He loved even His enemies, and covered their sins with His own blood.
While on the cross, Jesus prayed,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
In doing so, He demonstrated a love that goes far beyond human comprehension — a sacrificial love grounded in truth, grace, and forgiveness.
Because this love was displayed not just in words but through His own death, we are moved to believe in it.
And once we have experienced this love, we can no longer judge or condemn others in the same way.
This too is a powerful way in which Jesus destroys the works of the devil.
III. What Is the Change That Happens in Us?
Jesus not only destroyed the works of the devil, but also made our hearts into “temples of prayer” so that the devil may no longer have any foothold in us.
Prayer cleanses the heart, aligns our desires with the will of God, and gives us the strength to walk in His ways.
Therefore, as Scripture exhorts, we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
In the life of every believer who has been transformed by the grace of Christ, there must be the following five confessions:
We must confess with our mouths that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
As 2 Timothy 3:16 declares,
“All Scripture is breathed out by God…”
Therefore, we affirm the full authority and divine origin of the Scriptures.
We must acknowledge that, apart from the atoning work of Jesus Christ, we would be destined for hell—and give thanks for the grace by which we came to believe in His redemption.
Our salvation is not by works, but solely by the finished work of Christ on the cross.
We are saved by grace, and that truth must daily stir up gratitude in us.
We must give thanks to God, who poured out His Spirit upon us, enabling us to fulfill our calling as stewards of His kingdom.
Without the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, we cannot carry out the mission entrusted to us.
We must confess that we are no longer servants of lies and pride, but followers of truth—led by the Spirit who dwells with the humble.
James 4:6 says,
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
The Spirit of truth resides not with the arrogant, but with those who walk in humility before God.
We must recognize that while the devil spreads accusation, slander, and death, Jesus covers the sins of the guilty with His redeeming love. Therefore, we should pray to be filled with that same love.
As 1 Peter 4:8 says,
“Love covers a multitude of sins.”
Rather than condemning others, we are called to intercede for them in love.
Such prayer does not arise from our own fleshly will.
In fact, our carnal nature resists this kind of prayer.
But when we pray according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, it becomes a prayer that is pleasing to God.
When we offer such prayers, the Lord pours out His Spirit into our hearts,
and the devil is no longer able to operate within us.
Conclusion
Jesus Christ has made us into the holy dwelling place of God.
Yet the devil has deceived us, seeking to turn our hearts into his own stronghold.
The evidence of this is found when we follow the teachings of the world rather than the Word of God,
when we speak lies, walk in pride, and judge and slander others.
If we truly desire to welcome the Lord into our lives,
we must lay down our garments—that is, our own righteousness—before Him in humility.
This is what it means to welcome Jesus as King.
And when we receive Him with such a heart, He comes in and destroys the works of the devil.
Therefore, we must remain in prayer always,
so that the devil may never again gain influence in our hearts.
When we do, the Holy Spirit will dwell with us,
and we will be empowered to live godly lives in accordance with His will.
May each of us live in such spiritual victory,
being built up as God’s holy house,
and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon us all.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer of Commitment
Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and called us by name,
Thank You for allowing me to reflect again on what You accomplished through the cross.
In humility, You came into this world and destroyed the works of the devil,
and You set me free from the power of sin and death.
Now, Lord, I lay down before You
my pride and self-righteousness,
my deceitful thoughts and judgmental heart.
Just as the people laid down their garments to welcome You into Jerusalem,
I lay down my own righteousness and receive You as my Lord and King.
Help me believe in Your Word,
and grant me faith to walk in Your truth.
Make my heart a holy temple where You dwell,
a house of prayer where communion with You is never broken.
I am no longer a servant of the devil—
I desire now to live as a disciple of Christ, walking in humility.
Let me choose love over condemnation,
forgiveness over slander,
obedience over pride.
Holy Spirit, come and fill me completely.
Shut every door where the enemy might try to enter,
and help me live as a faithful steward of God’s calling in this world.
May the rest of my life be lived in step with the love of the cross—
a path of holy devotion and surrender.
I pray all this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.