Does Satan have the power of death? Satan lost the power of death when Jesus was resurrected from the grave. Great question. If you want to know more about how much Jesus loves you, please watch the short Great News video on this page.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
Hebrews 2:14-15
Believers Died with Christ
The Son of God became Jesus, God in the flesh. He died a cruel death on the cross. But He overcame the power of death when He was resurrected. When sinners believe in Jesus’ Name, we (positionally) die with Christ:
“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death. Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
Believers Rose with Christ
So, we also are (positionally) resurrected with Christ:
“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection (Romans 6:5).”
Satan Lost the Power of Death
Jesus vanquished Satan’s power of death when God resurrected Him. Since we believers died in Christ, Christ has also resurrected us. The one who has died (in Christ) no longer needs to fear death. We are now living in newness of life and freed from our slavery to sin and the Law:
“Our old self was crucified with Him…that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; For he who has died is freed from sin (Romans 6:6-7).”
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“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 (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).”
Satan and Moses’ Body
There remains a thought-provoking verse that reveals Satan claiming Moses’ body after Moses died:
“But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you (Jude 9).”
Side note: Notice that even the archangel was careful when disputing with the devil.
Scripture doesn’t give all the details of the encounter between Michael and the devil. But Moses died uniquely, and God buried him:
“So, Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And He (God) buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor (Deuteronomy 34:5-6)”.
Moses is in God’s Future Plans
Perhaps the dispute was because God still had future plans for Moses. He appeared after his death when Jesus was transfigured (Mark 9:4). And some think he will be one of the two special witnesses of God during the tribulation time:
“My two witnesses…will prophesy clothed in sackcloth….And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies….These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying (Elijah); and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood (Moses?), and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire (Revelation 11:3-6).”
God was Always Sovereign
So, even when Satan had the power of death, God could overrule him. And Satan lost the power of death when Jesus was resurrected.
Believers have won the victory over death because they died and rose with Christ. Believers are on the other side of death. Unbelievers don’t have the victory over death so the sting of death remains for those without Christ.
