“The fear of death keeps us from living, not from dying,” says a quotable quote in the July 2002 Reader’s Digest.

Have you ever asked the question, “Who holds the power of death?” Where do we find the answer to that question?

Graveyard

The answer to that question is found in the Bible. The Bible says that the devil holds the power of death. You can read that in the book of Hebrews chapter 2:14.

But the Bible has even more to say about the power of the devil.

Job 1:12: The devil is allowed to do harm to the righteous.

Luke 4:6: The devil claims authority over the world.

Acts 26:18: Sinners are under the rule of the devil.

Second Corinthians 4:3 and Second Corinthians 4:4: The minds of those who do not believe the gospel are blinded by the devil.

Ephesians 6:12: He battles with the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second Thessalonians 2:9: The devil inspires counterfeit miracles.

I mentioned already that it says in Hebrews 2:14 that the devil holds the power of death. But what does the context say?

Hebrews 2:14,15 says:

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

The Lord Jesus Christ died for us to free us from the fear of death.