Trash-Talk:

On the web I have seen comments written by Christians who call themselves hellrazers. While the tone of the comments I saw reflected an attitude of the Church’s victory over sin and death through Christ, the tone of the comments was more like ‘trash-talking’ of the playng field rather than a gracious assertion of Jesus’ victory.The devil inspires trash talk on the field and he will do it in the Church too if we are not vigilant.

Victory, overlooked, remains a fact. Revelations declares that death and Hell will be destroyed and that they are in the process of that destruction now. But that is no reason for us to crow over Satan and Hell like gangstas.

St. Micheal the Archangel, who will put chains on Satan and cast him into the pit for a thousand years, confronted Satan over the body of Moses. In Jude 9 we read that he refrained from trash-talk, saying only “The Lord rebuke you”.

We must follow the example of St. Michael. If we talk like the devil does, even to him, we will end up doing what he does. Evil conversation, even concerning the victory of the Church over Hell, will lead us into the devil’s snare.

Let’s define hellrazer because it is not in the dictionary. It is not hellraiser: loud obnoxious troublemaker. It is Raze: to destroy completely as in raze to the ground, to shave. Hellrazer, therefore, is one who troubles hell, reducing or destroying it.

Jesus Harrowed Hell

The doctrine which defines what Jesus accomplished in Hell is known as the Harrowing of Hell. (I could have chosen the word HellHarrowers but I don’t think people could relate to it.)

Harrow is a military term. It refers to the ancient practice of dragging a sledge or stone-boat with teeth on the bottom, over-top of the prostrate bodies of conquered enemies. A gruesome psychological weapon.

How does the Church raze or harrow Hell now? Jesus said that the things He did, the Church would do also. (John 14:12)True hellrazing is accomplished by prayer, sacrifice and above all evangelism.

Hell is Satan’s treasure house. Nothing belongs to him. Everything belongs to God. The only possession or accomplishment Satan can call his own are the angels he convinced to join in his rebellion and the souls of humanity he has stolen from God’s presence, including them also in his rebellion.

The only thing that reclaims lost souls is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Good News overthrows the bad news. No amount of doctrinal crowing about the victory of the cross and the Lake of Fire will hurt Satan. He is resigned to that fate. But to win souls on earth and in Hell – that hurts.

Jesus ‘put the big hurt’ on Satan on the day of His completion of the victory over sin and death – Easter. He preached to the souls imprisoned by death without knowledge of the gospel. (1 Peter 3:19). He redeemed, saved and released an uncountable number of souls that day. He Harrowed Hell.

This same task is before the Church. There is victory that must be enforced upon Satan, Hell and death before the return of Jesus. There are souls who can be reached with the gospel before their final judgment at the Great White Throne, yet after the time of their dying.

There are souls living now, who will accept Jesus’ offer of salvation if they know that such a choice will allow their ancestors to hear the message of Jesus and join them too. Hell is razed by faith and preaching, not doctrines.

The Church needs to rise up in Her certainty about the victory of Jesus over death and Hell. We can dominate sin, iniquity, and death just like Jesus did in His life, by faith in God’s Word and by preaching the gospel.

This attack on Hell requires the maturity to respect the dangers of pride and presumption inherent in any attack on Hell. By humble confidence in the Word and the Holy Spirit and the power of the Gospel, Hell can be diminished.

The completion of that victory lies with Jesus but we have a duty to attack hell whenever we encounter it. This can be in the natural realm when we encounter injustice and ignorance of the truth of the gospel.

It can also be in the spiritual realm where, through prayer and knowledge of the Word we can enforce the victory of the cross and claim from Hell the souls who never once heard the good news about Jesus.

A prophet of God once asked in prayer: “How do I lay a beatin’ on Satan?” The Lord replied: “Do him like you do me – just don’t do what he says.”

Disobedience to God’s word is the same as witchcraft.

Disobey evil and do good.

Raze Hell.

Attack Hell with the gospel and with prayer.

Raze it. Plunder it.

Enforce the victory of the cross over it.