1 John 3:7-12: a reflection

7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. 10In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. 11For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another— 12unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

As John distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil, he names the purpose for which Christ came: To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. Christ did not come merely to teach or to set an example, but to undo the works of the devil, to break the power of sin and evil, to destroy what the enemy had done. His coming was a rescue mission against the works of the devil, sin, death, the enemy's grip, which he came to undo and destroy. What the devil had wrought, the Son of God came to unmake.

Notice why the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. The devil's works, the sin and evil and bondage he had brought, were not left to stand; the Son of God came precisely to destroy them, to undo what the enemy had done. Christ came as one who would break the works of the devil, not tolerate or manage them. His coming was against the enemy's works, to unmake them, to free those held by them. The purpose of his coming was not merely instruction but destruction of what the devil had built, the undoing of the enemy's grip on us and on the world.

That is worth resting in, for it means Christ came to destroy the very works of the devil that harm us. We can feel overpowered by sin and evil, by the enemy's grip on our lives and our world, as though these works of the devil must simply stand; but the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil, to undo them. Christ came against the very things that harm and bind us, to break them. When you feel overpowered by sin or the works of evil in your life, remember that Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, and take hope in his power to undo them. Take hope in Christ, who came to destroy the works of the devil, breaking the power of the sin and evil that harm and bind you, rather than despairing as though they must stand, as John says the Son of God was revealed to destroy the devil's works; for Christ came against the very works of the enemy, and he is able to undo in us and in the world what the devil has done.

Lord Jesus, as John distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil, he names the purpose for which you came: to this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. You did not come merely to teach or to set an example, but to undo the works of the devil, to break the power of sin and evil, to destroy what the enemy had done. Your coming was a rescue mission against the works of the devil, which you came to undo and destroy. Show me why you were revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. The devil's works, the sin and evil and bondage he had brought, were not left to stand; you came precisely to destroy them. You came as one who would break the works of the devil, not tolerate or manage them. The purpose of your coming was not merely instruction but destruction of what the devil had built, the undoing of the enemy's grip on us and on the world. Let me rest in that, for it means you came to destroy the very works of the devil that harm me. I can feel overpowered by sin and evil, by the enemy's grip on my life and my world, as though these works of the devil must simply stand; but you were revealed to destroy them. When I feel overpowered by sin or the works of evil in my life, help me remember that you came to destroy the works of the devil, Lord, and take hope in your power to undo them. Help me take hope in you, who came to destroy the works of the devil, breaking the power of the sin and evil that harm and bind me, rather than despairing as though they must stand.