On Revelation 20, Christopher Wordsworth makes this beautiful point:
Observe the striking contrast: Christ has done to Satan, for the whole time of the Gospel, what Satan did to Christ for three days. Satan, by the hands of his own agents, arrested Jesus, bound Him, cast Him into ‘ the lowest pit ‘ (Psalm 88:5), set a seal upon His sepulchre, and set a watch over Him, in order that ” the deceiver,” as they called Him (Matthew 28:63), might no more trouble them. But Christ by His Death “overcame him that had the power of death, even the Devil ” (Hebrews 2:14). He entered ” the house of the strong man ” (Matthew 12:29), and bound him, and cast him into the abyss, and set a seal upon him, in order that he might no more deceive the Nations; and when He raised Himself from the dead, He gave command to His Disciples to go into all the world, and baptize all Nations. Matthew 28:19.
Fantastic!
Here’s another gem from this neighborhood:
Christ bound Satan at His First Advent from heaven. Christ was the Woman’s promised Seed, who bruised the Serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). He is the Stronger One, as He Himself says, who entered into the strong man’s house and bound him (Matthew 12:29). He overcame Satan by dying on the Cross, and by raising Himself, and took from him his armour wherein he trusted, and spoiled his goods (Luke 11:22). He was manifested at His Incarnation for this purpose, “that He might destroy the works of the Deril ” (1 John 3:18).
He gave authority over Devils to His Apostles and His Disciples (Matthew 10:1, Mark 3:15). He said, “Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scor pions, and over all the power of the Enemy” (Luke 10:19). Therefore the Apostles declare to all Christians, that He will “bruise Satan under their feet shortly” (Romans 16:20), and that even the weakest among them is by Christ’s power stronger than Satan, and can “quench all the fiery darts of the Evil One” (Ephesians 6:16). “Resist the Devil,” they say, “and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Such was Christ’s act and deed at His First Advent.
Having such testimonies of Holy Scripture to that effect, we cannot admit, with some, that the Devil has not now been bound, although we see that many persons are taken captive by him. Cp. 2 Timothy 2:26, 1 Peter 5:8.
Holy Scripture represents Satan as vanquished and bound by Christ. Christ has done this work for the benefit of all Christians. Nothing can harm those who are followers of that which is good (1 Peter 3:13). The Evil One toucheth them not (1 John 5:18). No one can pluck them out of Christ’s hand (John 10:28). Satan is vanquished and is bound to all, who do not recklessly loose him by their sins, and arm him against themselves.
The present prevalence of evil, and the exercise of Satan’s power in this world, affords therefore no objection to this inter, pretation of this passage. This interpretation was adopted by ancient expositors, after careful examination of the meaning of this chapter; and it was received by the universal consent of the Christian Church, both Eastern and Western, from the fifth to the fifteenth century.
Here’s a link to the book on Google Books: The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Original Greek with Introductions and Notes by Chr. Wordsworth. (These quotations are from pages 247-248.)
