(Verse 11) - The prince of this world - Satan. The death of Christ was a judgment or a condemnation of Satan. In this struggle Jesus gained the victory and subdued the great enemy of man. This proves that God will execute judgment or justice on all his foes. If he vanquished his great enemy who had so long seemingly triumphed in this world, he will subdue all others in due time.

All sinners in like manner may expect to be condemned. Of this great truth Jesus says the Holy Spirit will convince men. God showed himself to be just in subduing his great enemy. He showed that he was resolved to vanquish his foes, and that all his enemies in like manner must be subdued. This is deeply felt by the convicted sinner. He knows that he is guilty. He learns that God is just. He fears that he will condemn him, and trembles in the apprehension of approaching condemnation.

From this state of alarm there is no refuge but to flee to Him who subdued the great enemy of man, and who is able to deliver him from the vengeance due to his sins. Convinced, then, of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and of his ability and willingness to save him, he flees to his cross, and seeks in him a refuge from the coming storm of wrath.

In these verses we have a condensed and most striking view of the work of the Holy Spirit. These three things comprise the whole of his agency in the conversion of sinful men; and in the accomplishment of this work he still awakens, convinces, and renews. He attends the preaching of the gospel, and manifests his power in revivals of religion. He thus imparts to man the blessings purchased by the death of Jesus, carries forward and extends the same plan of mercy, and will yet apply it to all the kingdoms and tribes of men. Have we ever felt his power, and been brought by his influence to mourn over our sins, and seek the mercy of a dying Savior?

(Verse 12) - I have yet many things to say …-There were many things pertaining to the work of the Spirit and the establishment of religion which might be said. Jesus had given them the outline; he had presented to them the great doctrines of the system, but he had not gone into details.

These were things that they could not then bear. They were still full of Jewish prejudices, and were not prepared for a full development of his plans. He probably refers here to the great change which were to take place in the Jewish system - the abolition of sacrifices and the priesthood, the change of the Sabbath, the rejection of the Jewish nation, etc. For these doctrines they were not prepared, but they would in due time be taught them by the Holy Spirit.

(Verse 13a) - The Spirit of truth-So called because he would teach them all necessary truth.

Will guide you into all truth-That is, truth which pertained to the establishment of the Christian system, which they were not then prepared to hear. We may here remark that this is a full promise that they would be inspired and guided in founding the new church; and we may observe that the plan of the Savior was replete with wisdom. Though they had been long with him, yet they were not prepared then to hear of the changes that were to occur; but his death would open their eyes, and the Holy Spirit, making use of the striking and impressive scenes of his death and ascension, would carry forward with vast rapidity their views of the nature of the Christian scheme. Perhaps in the few days that elapsed, of which we have a record in the first and second chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, they learned more of the true nature of the Christian plan than they would have done in months or years even under the teaching of Jesus himself. The more we study the plan of Christ, the more shall we admire the profound wisdom of the Christian scheme, and see that it was eminently fitted to the great design of its Founder-to introduce it in such a manner as to make on man the deepest impression of its wisdom and its truth.

How do those facts apply to my life?:

The defeat of Satan is a forgotten matter in theology. Either we talk about it in Charismatic or Prosperity terms or we don't talk about it at all. In the defeat of Satan God defeated, utterly and completely, His major and most powerful enemy. The significance of this is that if God's strongest enemy was not able to avoid judgment then none of His enemies will.

This is why the Spirit is spoken of as convincing or convicting the world of judgment. It is not just that judgment will occur, but that it will occur to any and all who oppose God regardless of their strength or power. This is important because many people have the idea that they will somehow escape judgment because of their wit, wisdom, strength, position, or personality. The point that no one will escape judgment is an important one.

It is also significant that this point is borne home by the Spirit. Many people are simply unreachable by any other means. Truth be told, no one comes to God by any other means.

What should I do in response?: