“Why This Matters Before the cross, Satan had eternal claim on our souls. All humans die—and so, go to the realm of the dead, his domain. And there we would remain—were it not for the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection. Through faith in his work on the cross, we are raised with him. As we saw in the previous chapter, Satan was expelled from God’s presence when the kingdom began on earth (Luke 10:18). God would have no more of his accusations against believers. He had no more right to our souls. Why, then, do we live as though he does? Salvation is not gained by moral perfection. It is a gift that comes by grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8–9). That in turn means salvation cannot be lost by moral imperfection. What is not at all gained by performance cannot be lost by poor performance. Salvation is about believing loyalty—trusting what Jesus did to defeat Satan’s claim and turning from all other gods and the belief systems of which they are a part. That is the message of God’s kingdom we are commissioned to tell to the nations (Matt. 28:19–20). And as we obey, the dominions of the enemy gods, the principalities and powers, shrink—soul by soul, moment by moment. The gates of hell, the realm of the dead, do not withstand the resurrection, and will not withstand the advance of the gospel.” SpiritualityChristianity Author:Michael S Heiser