Destroying the Works of the Devil

Sin and the resultant evil did not take God by surprise or put heaven into a state of emergency. God foresaw sin, restrains Satan (Job 1:12), and is always (I Peter 1:20) working towards the final destruction of all sin and evil; pulling the fingernails of Satan (I Corinthians 15:24-25).

THE MATERIAL OF SATAN'S WORK
John does not say that Christ is destroying the devil. His works are referred to specifically because of their proximity to our lives. We are the material Satan uses in his assault against the Kingdom of God. This is what the Lord meant when he said to Peter “get thee behind me Satan” (Matthew 16:23). Satan will always be sinful but he will not always work his evil through us. There are two elements of Satan's person in view in Vs. 8; the evil nature of Satan (that which he is) and the evil works of Satan (that which he does). The sad reality is that he accomplishes his work through human lives.

THE NATURE OF SATAN'S WORK
Taking away sin (Vs. 5) is destroying the works of the Devil (Vs. 8), but destroying the works of the Devil includes more than taking away sin. John broadens the scope of his thought from V's. 5-8. There are two general aspects of the work of Satan; offensive and defensive. It is these works that God is destroying, the complete and universal work of Satan.

THE DESTRUCTION OF SATAN'S WORK
The meaning here is that Christ is taking to pieces, breaking up, dissolving (See Matthew 21:2; John 11:44).