It Is Finished!

The Advocate, the Accuser, and the Assurance We Have in Christ

Many believers have understood Jesus as our Advocate and Satan as our Accuser, and Scripture at times uses legal language to help us grasp spiritual realities. But courtroom imagery can become misleading if we forget what Christ finished at the Cross. Believers are not standing trial over and over, and their salvation is never at risk. When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” He announced a victory so complete that no accusation can overturn it. Understanding this truth brings deep peace and removes unnecessary fear.

“It is finished.”
When Jesus cried, “It is finished” in John 19:30, He used the Greek word tetelestai, meaning “paid in full.” Through His sacrifice, the debt of sin was fully satisfied. The Law was fulfilled. The way to God was opened once for all.

Because Christ completed the work, Scripture declares:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

Believers will never face God’s judgment for sin in a condemning way. Jesus bore that judgment in our place.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us… that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus took upon Himself the sins of humanity, so that believers, through faith in Him, could be declared righteous before God.

The Limitations of the Accuser
Many Christians imagine Satan as all-present, constantly watching, listening, and accusing every believer everywhere. But Scripture teaches something very different and deeply reassuring.

Only God is omnipresent.
Psalm 139 teaches us that only God can be everywhere at once. That is a divine attribute belonging to Him alone.

Satan is a created being, limited in power, limited in presence, and limited in authority. When the book of Job describes Satan “going to and fro in the earth” and “walking up and down in it” in Job 1:7 and 2:2, it shows that he can only be in one place at one time. He moves from one location to another. He is not all-seeing or all-knowing, nor is he capable of monitoring every believer at once.

And most importantly, after Christ’s death and resurrection, Satan no longer has access to accuse believers in God’s presence. Revelation proclaims:

“The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10

This means Satan cannot stand before God and cannot bring charges against the redeemed. The courtroom of Heaven is forever closed to him.

While demonic forces still attempt to discourage or tempt believers, they remain limited and defeated. The Holy Spirit within every believer is infinitely greater than any enemy outside.
“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Because believers are covered by the righteousness of Christ, Satan has no legal grounds anywhere to condemn the children of God—not in Heaven, not on earth, and not in the believer’s heart. His accusations carry no power against the finished work of Jesus.

Jesus, our Advocate forever
Christ’s saving work on the Cross is complete, but His loving ministry continues. Scripture says:
“If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1

Jesus does not plead as though the outcome is uncertain. The verdict has already been declared. He stands in loving advocacy to comfort our hearts and apply His finished work to our lives. His advocacy is not a courtroom struggle but the continual assurance of our salvation.

Do believers face judgment?
Scripture says believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, but this judgment is not about salvation.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

This “Bema Seat” is a time of reward and evaluation of service—not a judgment of guilt. A believer’s salvation is not reconsidered, questioned, or weighed. That was settled at the Cross once for all.

A plan from the very beginning
The Cross was not an emergency solution. It was God’s design from before creation.

Christ is called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals a God who lovingly planned redemption. Jesus’ declaration—“It is finished”—was the completion of a plan formed in eternity and fulfilled through His life, death, and resurrection.

Walking in assurance
Because Christ finished the work, because He cast down the accuser, and because He stands as our Advocate, believers can live in absolute confidence before God. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Our salvation is secure, anchored in Christ’s righteousness and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Courtroom imagery may help illustrate spiritual truths, but it must always be understood in the light of the Gospel: believers are not on trial. The verdict has already been declared—justified, forgiven, redeemed, and held securely in the love of God.

Conclusion
The Gospel is not a message of fear. It is a message of assurance. Jesus’ cry—“It is finished”—proclaimed the total and irreversible victory of God’s redeeming love. The accuser has been cast down. The believer stands clothed in Christ’s righteousness. The courtroom imagery is never meant to make Christians fear for their salvation, but to show the triumph of Christ on their behalf. God’s plan—from the beginning of time—was to save, secure, and hold His children forever. And He has done exactly that.

All the believer needs to do is to proclaim that Christ is the Son of God, He died for our sins, He’s resurrected from the dead.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:4

Jesus is waiting for the Father to tell HIM to go get his Bride, His Church of Believers. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

This describes the event when Jesus comes to gather His Bride, in accordance with the Father’s timing.

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7–8

The Church is depicted as the Bride, waiting for the Lamb to come and unite with her.

Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the finished work of Jesus Christ. Thank You that salvation is complete, secure, and protected by Your power, not ours. Calm every fear and silence every lie that tries to shake our confidence in Your grace. Remind us daily that the accuser has been cast down and that the righteousness of Christ covers us forever. Help us walk in joy, peace, and assurance, trusting in the plan You designed from the beginning and fulfilled at the Cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen.