Limitless Word
Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
John 12:31 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
  • KJV Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
  • NKJV Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
  • NASB Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
  • NLT The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Now is the judgment of the world and the casting out of its prince. The cross defeats Satan and judges the world.

Overview

Jesus declares that his impending death is the decisive moment of judgment, when Satan, the 'prince of this world,' is overthrown. The cross, seemingly a defeat, is in truth the triumph that breaks the enemy's hold. This is central to the gospel, that Christ conquers sin, death, and the devil through his sacrifice.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • 2 Cor 4:4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
  • 1 Jn 3:8The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
  • 1 Jn 5:19We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.
  • John 14:30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me.
  • Eph 6:12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
  • Heb 2:14Now 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,
  • Col 2:15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
  • John 16:8–11And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
  • Rev 20:2–3He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
  • 1 Jn 4:4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
  • Rev 12:9–11And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
  • Eph 2:1–2And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
  • Matt 12:28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
  • Gen 3:15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
  • Luke 10:17–19The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”
  • Acts 26:18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
  • Isa 49:24Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered?
  • John 5:22–27Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 12:31YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 12:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.