The Battle

We are able to plumb the depths of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can know all we want about it because it is given to us to know. Christ came for a primary purpose, not to be a great teacher, but to fight a battle, indeed, the battle.

There is only one war, and that is between good and evil. Jesus said, "He that is not against us is for us." (Luke 9:50) and "He that is not with me is against me." (Matthew 12:30) We know that this war is fought in many battles. Michael, the Archangel, lead the children of God into battle against the forces of Satan before the world was created.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:7-9)

Part of the war was fought in Heaven, and Michael, heading the forces of God, prevailed, casting Satan and his forces to the Earth. The war continues as we come to Earth and are pelted by the same evil troops that were defeated in Heaven.

In our personal battles we have protection. The other side has boundaries which they cannot pass. Moreover, we have a will which allows us to choose good or evil. We invite good into our lives, or evil by the choices we make every minute of every day. These battles are being fought on an ongoing basis. We always have the upper hand because of the battle fought by Jesus Christ. We are given only what we can bear. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13) This is good news, indeed!

The battle
His battle was the same as ours, and yet totally different. Jesus fought a no-holds-barred battle against evil. He did not choose to invite evil into His life by transgression or sin. Instead, He being pure and sinless, offered Himself to Satan as a propitiation for those who did. He would willingly give His body over to Satan with no protection, no armor. David stands before Goliath. The pure white Lamb stands before the dragon. He was the Anointed One to be the Champion for the forces of Good, to fight alone against all the forces of evil.

Christ did not have protection, as we do. He was to take the worst that Satan and his angels had to inflict. They would be able to fight with all they had, and God would entirely withdraw from the fight. The Lord would be left to Himself to fight alone against Satan and all his forces, and would suffer all the torture and pain that could be suffered. He would know all "the buffetings of Satan" (D&C 78:12) that the evil one could inflict. He cried out in the agony of his soul, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (Mark 15:34) He had all weapons of evil, temptations, pain, suffering, loneliness, wrath, depression, vengeance, hatred, loss, hopelessness, selfishness, and darkness aimed at Him -- alone. Those on the ground couldn't see, and did not know the magnitude of the event before them. Though others were there, and even sympathetic, He was alone.

In this battle He was tortured and killed, the body and the blood; the bread and the wine represent the sufferings and death of Him who did no sin or transgression. They remind us of the Good News that Jesus Christ did not give in; He did not let go, but held firm to faith, hope, charity and love -- keeping an eye single to the glory of God. He suffered the will of the Father, and overcame by faith. He had charity for all and withstood the demons with love. He loved most.

He did not give in to the enticing of the evil one, but rather Satan gave in to Him. Satan acknowledged the superiority of Jehovah. He had done all he could to break the Lord, but could not make Him bend. The Devil, all the devils, tried, but couldn't. They knew they couldn't. They were defeated, and gave up.

He won! He won the battle! David beat Goliath! The Dragon is overcome by the Lamb! Love overcomes all evil! "He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." (Revelation 19:15) He told the Nephites after His resurrection, "I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning." (3 Nephi 11:11)

This is the Gospel, the Good News, for the whole world. All the children of Adam have hope in Him because He won the battle! "It is finished!" The battle that decides the end of the war is over. The fate of the evil one is sealed. Through Him all other battles may end in victory for God, we will not be overcome. We must fight our personal battles, the war is not over, but the decisive victory is at hand because of one battle. The battle.