allison elaine writes

As I reflected on Good Friday, I found myself in John 13, reading about Judas’ betrayal.

“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit… one of you will betray me.”
— John 13:21–30 (ESV)

When I paused at verse 27, something stood out in a deeper way:

“Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’” — John 13:27

Sit with that for a moment.

Satan entered him.

As we read through the Word of God, we are reminded of something we so easily forget in the middle of conflict, pain, and betrayal:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…” — Ephesians 6:12

We have a real enemy.

And it is not each other.

A Real Enemy—But Not a Sovereign One

When we face struggles in life, it’s easy to turn on one another. To assign blame. To make it personal.

But Scripture pulls back the curtain and shows us a deeper reality.

There is an enemy at work.

But he is not in control.

We don’t have to dismiss it or explain it away.

Evil is real.
Pain is real.
What we experience matters.

We see this not only in the betrayal of Judas—but also clearly in the book of Job.

In Job 1–2, Satan comes before God and must be given permission before he can touch Job. He cannot act freely. He cannot move outside of what God allows.

And yet—what Job experienced was real suffering.

Loss.
Grief.
Confusion.
Pain that could not be easily explained.

This is where we hold two truths at the same time:

Evil is present.
But it is not sovereign.

God was not absent in Job’s suffering.
He was present.
He was sustaining him.
He was preserving his eternity—even in the midst of it.

And even when Job could not see or understand what was happening, God remained his refuge.

Satan is not sovereign.

He is limited.
He is subject.
He operates within boundaries set by God Himself.

Even when evil is present, it is never in control.

The Weight of the Cross

Then we look at Jesus.

Jesus suffered in a way we cannot fully comprehend.

He took on the wrath of our sin.
He became sin—though He knew no sin:

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21

Wow.

What a God.
What a God.

As I sat in that, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own life—on the ways I have offended a holy and righteous God through selfishness and sin.

And yet…

He had a plan.

From the beginning.

To give His one and only Son as the propitiation for my sin.

Even the greatest evil ever committed—the crucifixion of Christ—was not outside of God’s authority.

But the Story Doesn’t End There

And then comes Resurrection Sunday.

The grave did not hold Him.

Jesus rose again.

And with that victory came an additional gift—the Holy Spirit—living in us as believers.

Not just to comfort us, but to transform us.
To guide us.
To grow us in His likeness.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead now lives in us.

Empowering us to walk in truth.
Strengthening us to stand firm.
Leading us to live differently.

And here is the truth we cannot miss:

Satan does not win.

He loses.

He is defeated.

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Satan is not only limited—he is ultimately disarmed and defeated.

He does not have the final word.
He does not have ultimate authority.
He does not have a lasting grip.

Jesus wins.

And because of Him—

We win.

We are sons and daughters of God.

A Final Challenge

Is there any space in your life where you’re giving Satan more influence than he deserves?

Maybe in arguments with loved ones…
Maybe in how you interpret hardship…
Maybe in the way you assign blame or carry offense…

Pause and ask yourself:

Am I fighting the right enemy?

Refuse to turn on people.
Refuse to let offense take root.
Refuse to give the enemy a foothold where Jesus has already secured victory.

Stand firm in truth.
Walk in the Spirit.
Engage your sphere of influence with clarity, humility, and courage.

Because the enemy is real—

But he is not sovereign.

And Jesus has already won.