Dear Reggie,
The early Christian answer to this question is quite different than taught today. It goes like this. God sent the King of Heaven, Jesus to fulfill the task of the messiah, to save all of the fallen. Jesus needed to defeat Satan in His life and after His death to complete the task of redemption. During His life, Jesus rejected all the temptations from Satan. After living a perfect life, holding true to His Father despite Satan’s attempts to save Him from His torment. This perfect life and total rejection of Satan earned Him the right to pass final judgement over Satan, and open the gates to heaven. It was Jesus’ victory over Death [Satan] that brought about the atonement of humanity and began the restoration process.
Best Wishes, Shawn
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