Answer: The reason that the Son of God appeared on the earth was to destroy the devil's work, (verse 8).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
Hebrews 2:14-15: "Since the children have flesh and blood, He [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
