Ha Satan lost His Job
So I recently finished reading N.T. Wright's Surpeised by Hope and now I've embarked on two other simultaneous reading ventures: Ben Witherington's socio-rhetorical commentary on Revelation and St. Augustine's heavy second work The City Of God. Reading through all of these works has given me a lot to think about, not the least of which is the role the devil plays in the world in the world of the resurrection.
Satan is known by three popular monikers: the accuser, the tempter, and the deceiver. This vilest of all created has been plying his trade since the very fall of man; indeed without his influence, humanity might never have been plunged into the despair and depravity in which it has found itself for the last 6000 or so years. After the beginning, the deceiver convinced ishshah to eat of the forbidden fruit, pursuading her that by that act of rebellion, she could gain knowledge of all things, even as God has all knowledge. This act of deceit had as its accomplice the act of temptation. "If you would only eat of the fruit [temptation], truly you will gain the knowledge of God [deception]." And thus Satan's resume was started. One thing can be said about the evil one: he has more job security than nearly anyone else.
Satan's third role--that of accuser--is based in the imagery of God's heavenly courtroom, in which he petitions before God all our sins, accusing the helpless souls of humanity of all the sins they have ever committed. Alas, how can anyone plead naught but guilty before his accusations, for in our hearts each of us knows that every word he speaks is true (ironically...). The Holy One seated on the judge's bench, if indeed he is wholly righteous, has no choice to bring down his gavel against the accused in holy condemnation. But alas, how can we escape this (albeit just) system of death at the hands of Satan?
"Praise be to the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb who was slain." For the righteous judge has provided a way out of condemnation for us--the perfect lamb, without a single sin or error, who was brutally murdered and punished for the sins we committed. In this way, the sins we are accused of committing (and indeed did commit) by Satan are imputed to Christ, our defense attorney as it were, thereby rendering the insults of the evil one useless before the judge and freeing us to plead with all sincerity "Not Guilty!"
Since, therefore, we have this assurance, let us boldly proclaim that sin (by means of the devil's accusations) no longer has a single shred of power over we who believe, for we are ruled by justice and truth. Although Satan may (and indeed does) still try to tempt and deceive us, we serve another master and are no longer bound to our evil passions and greeds, setting us free to renounce these snares of the devil and giving us leave to expose them by the light of God's grace.
As a result, Satan's days in the courtroom are over, at least for we who can no longer be justly accused of our wrongs. As for the others, well, it is our job (indeed our holy calling) to bring God's light to them. One day, Satan's evil deeds, both those in the courtroom elsewhere, will be exposed and God's verdict will be rendered upon him and all who follow after him: eternal incarceration in the federal pen (the Lake of Fire).

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