Why did the Devil want the body of Moses? (Jude 9)

Jude 9 raises the question, Why would the devil dispute with the archangel Michael over the body of Moses? That dispute is framed as part of a larger biblical pattern: the serpent’s deception in Genesis 3 and the “curse” that functions as the devil’s job change into the “dust eater,” the one who draws humanity toward death and Sheol. Moses’ body is a symbol of a larger contest over where humans belong in death—down in the realm of the grave, or up with God—especially in light of Christ, the Lord of life, who descends into Sheol, breaks it open, and opens heaven for the saints. The argument also draws on Second Temple literature (including the tradition associated with the Testament/Assumption of Moses) and places Michael’s restraint (“The Lord rebuke you”) alongside a warning to remain faithful and not follow the patterns of rebellion associated with Cain, Balaam, and Korah. The central exhortation is that the devil contends for the bodies of the faithful, too, so believers must keep Christ on the throne by allegiance to God’s kingdom and fidelity to Scripture, rather than by compromise, self-sovereignty, or the ethics of pagan worship.