What’s It Going to Be?

The Cross is the beginning of the glorious work of God in Christ. It is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” {Rom. 1:16b} and the demonstration of His eternal Triumph over every enemy named and unnamed. Notice I said it’s the beginning, not the end. {And a glorious beginning it is.} But does it surprise you that everything we need is not finalized and finished in this one place? The finished Work of Jesus includes the Resurrection and Ascension; and these are key pieces to the puzzle if you hope to ever have victory over Satan’s System, your own sin-nature, and the realm of the demonic. And that’s just the thing. You can …if you will fight for it! But you must take a stand— in faith— on all that Jesus did for you and within you, and never relent, never back down, never relinquish the hard-fought ground of Grace.

From the Resurrection flows all the power we need to live lives that are whole and healed, in humility and with honor. In the Resurrection power of Jesus there is Life and life abundant. His Ascension and acceptance at the right hand of God is where authorityresides. The right hand of God as a place of power, glory, prominence, prestige, honor and authority comes down to us from the practice of ancient kings. Jesus ascended to the Throne of His Father as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” {Rev. 17:14; 19:16}, that is, having accomplished every last thing Abba had set before Him He is now the rightful Ruler of the Universe— King over all kings and Lord over all lords.

It is this authority, this might, this rulership we exercise every time we end a prayer ‘in Jesus’ name,’ for the ‘name’ in both Hebrew and Greek signifies the essential characteristics of a person: his status, his power, his might, his majesty, the intrinsic nature of the individual. There is no greater authority to appeal to in the midst of spiritual warfare, in battling the forces of darkness, than the One who completed their conquest and now sits enthroned at “the right hand of the Majesty on high” {Heb. 1:3}.

It requires the full work of Jesus for our full sanctification from the enemies around us. We must bring by faith His full work— the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension— over our lives, our marriages, our friendships, our families, our ministries, and against the powers of darkness seeking to deceive, distract, and destroy us. The key to spiritual warfare is the simplest thing in the world: the willingness to recognize it, and to take a stand against it! It’s that simple. The willingness to fight, faithfully and fiercely, is the most powerful step you can take. “I will not give way to this. I will not stand by while those I love or lead are brought to ruin. Including me!” Your stand in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ can change the course of Time for all Eternity.

Conversely, your unwillingness to acknowledge it means you get to be a walking target, with a soft soul ever-ready to soak up the enemy’s arrows like a spiritual sponge. Not a place I highly recommend. So, what’s it going to be? A fierce Warrior in the Cause of Christ, battling in the might and power of his holy Master, or a complacent pin cushion for “all the flaming arrows of the evil one” {Eph. 6:16c}, a living, breathing bull’s-eye? It’s your choice.

Ric Webb, Shepherd
Heart's Journey Community
hjcommunity.org