1. Sin’s condemnation:

Paul writes in Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

2. The Law’s penalty:

In Galatians 3:13 we read, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”  Christ became a curse for us because the curse of the law is death.  He took our place so that we might be reconciled to God.

3. Satan’s bondage:

Turning to the book of Colossians (1:13-14), Paul writes, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  The domain of darkness is, of course, Satan’s territory.  But the Christian knows that Satan has been defeated and one day soon he will be destroyed.  The victory has already been won at Calvary.

4. The World’s Control:

Paul explains our former bondage in Galatians 4:3-5.  “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

This is connected with #3 – while we were in the domain of darkness we were on Satan’s turf and under his control.  But because we’ve been freed from Satan’s bondage, the Christian has also been freed from the world’s control.

5. Death’s power:

The familiar words of Romans 8:38-39 remind us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Death is not the end of the road for the follower of Jesus Christ.  Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ know that they have eternal hope.  They have the hope that if they have died with Christ, they will also be raised with Christ on the last day.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 gives us these glorious words.  “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What a promise this is!  Death has been defeated at the foot of the cross.