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There is only one thing that causes Satan to tremble in fear. (cf. James 2:19) It is Jesus Christ.
Satan was utterly defeated by the redemptive work of Christ. As previously indicated, he was bound; his abode plundered (realm of his authority; the “domain of darkness”); and his works destroyed. (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27; Colossians 1:13; 1 John 3:8) Consequently, he is without armor and powerless. (Luke 11:22; Hebrews 2:14) Further, Satan was disarmed and made a public spectacle (he was publicly exposed as shattered, empty, and defeated). (Colossians 2:15) Concordant with Satan’s utter defeat, the New Testament church must not respond to his schemes with fleshly strategies, formulas, and effort. Instead, it must faithfully acknowledge its eternal position “in Christ,” “put on the full armor of God,” and “stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10-18) Positioned “in Adam” By stipulation of the Renovation Covenant, God designed the human race as one collective entity in the form of head and body. Adam, the archetypal man, was appointed the representative head of the human race. His posterity was appointed as his covenantal body. Joined to Adam, the human race was legally positioned under his representative headship. As a result, the New Testament describes the human race as “in Adam.” (1 Corinthians 15:22; cf. Romans 5:12-21) Positioned “in Adam,” fallen humanity shares his legal status before God. Consequently, when Adam committed the original sin, the entire human race shared its legal penalty. "In Adam," the eternal position of the fallen human race is unrighteous: |
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Relative to his unrighteousness "in Adam," mankind was relegated to a fallen realm of existence apart from God:
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Eternally positioned under the unrighteous headship of Adam in the realm of sin and death, the fallen are characterized by a distinct form of life, style of governance, security, family, and citizenship:
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Positioned “in Adam,” the human race is legally unsuitable with God. It is unrighteous. Consequently, it exists in a fallen state of separation from Him in the realm of sin and death, the “domain of darkness” (realm of satanic authority). Among other things, it is characterized by degenerated life, governance by rule of law, eternal insecurity, broken family, citizenship on the degenerated earth, and satanic harassment.
Baptized Into Christ In contrast to the fallen human race, the New Testament church is not positioned “in Adam.” By the redemptive work of God, it was positioned under the new head of the human race, Jesus Christ. The New Testament church was legally positioned “in Christ” when it was “baptized into” Him. (Romans 6:1-11) The English word “baptize” does not constitute a translation from New Testament Greek but a transliteration from the Greek word “baptizo.” Therefore, it is merely an English representation of the Greek word. The best translation of the Greek word “baptizo” is “identification with.” At the moment of salvation, all who comprise the New Testament church were identified with the redemptive work of Christ: |
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Positioned “in Christ”
In contrast to the first man, Adam, Jesus Christ is the “last Adam” and the “second man.” (1 Corinthians 15:45-47) Therefore, Jesus is not just another Adam. Instead, He is the fulfillment of the first Adam. Within the protective framework of the Eternal Covenant, God designed the New Testament church as one collective, covenantal entity. He created it in the form of head and body. By stipulation of the redemptive Eternal Covenant, Jesus Christ was predetermined to be the perfect representative head of the New Testament church. The elect members of the ecclesia were appointed as His covenantal body. (Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:15-16, 5:23) The head and body of the New Testament church were joined in covenantal union by law. As a result, the church body was legally positioned under the representative headship of Christ. Positioned “in Him,” the New Testament describes the body of the ecclesia of God as “in Christ,” “in Christ Jesus,” “in the Lord,” “in Him,” etc., more than 150 times. "In Christ," the eternal position of the New Testament church is righteous: |
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Declared righteous "in Christ," mankind is transferred into a new, spiritual realm of existence:
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Eternally positioned under the righteous headship of Jesus Christ in the realm of eternal life (zoe), the redeemed are characterized by a new form of life, style of governance, security, redeemed family, and citizenship:
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Eternally positioned “in Christ” in the realm of the “Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus,” the New Testament church was made legally suitable and organically compatible with God. Consequently, it was privileged to exist in the realm of divine life (zoe) (kingdom of God; realm of divine authority) and share life with God. (Romans 8:2)
Positioned “in Christ” in the kingdom of God, the status of the New Testament church is radically different from its position “in Adam.” Among other things, it is characterized by life in the highest; eternal life (zoe), eternal security, the intimacy of the divine family, heavenly citizenship, governance by the gracious rule of eternal life (zoe), and freedom from satanic authority and power. (John 1:12-13; Romans 5:18- 6:14; 8:1-11:36; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:4; 19; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 2:12-13; 3:4) |
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Position and Condition The writing of Miles Stanford has helped the New Testament church to distinguish between its eternal position in heaven and its temporal condition on earth. He clarified, “All spiritual life and growth is based on the principal of position. It can be summed up in one word: source. Through physical birth we entered our human family position, from which source we derive certain characteristics. We are the product of our position. Just so in our spiritual birth. When we are born again, the risen Lord Jesus is the source of our Christian life; in him we are positioned before our Father… Our position, the source of our Christian life, is perfect. It is eternally established in the Father's presence. When we received the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior, the Holy Spirit caused us to be born into Him. He created us in the position that was established through His work at Calvary. This is the eternal position in which every believer has been placed, whether he is aware of it or not. The Christian who comes to see his position in the Lord Jesus begins to experience the benefit of all that he is in him. His daily state is developed from the source of his eternal standing. Our condition is what we are in our Christian walk, in which we develop from infancy to maturity. Although our position remains immutable, our condition is variable. Through the exercise of faith, our eternal position (source) affects our daily condition, but in no way does our condition affect that heavenly position. When we concentrate on our condition, we are not living by faith but by feelings and appearances. The inevitable result is that we become increasingly self-conscious and self-centered. Our prime responsibility is to pay attention to the Lord Jesus, to rest (abide) in him as our position. There will then be growth, and He will be more and more manifested in our condition. If the believer does not know of his position in the Lord Jesus, and how to abide in Him as his very life, there will be but one result. He will struggle in this un-Christlike condition rather than rest in his Christ-centered position. In most cases, a believer is more aware of his condition than of his position. This is the reason for so much failure and stagnation. If we are to grow and become fruitful, our faith must be anchored in the finished work of our position in Christ. There is no basis for faith in our changeable, unfinished condition.”1 Faith Regarding the appropriation of the church’s position “in Christ” Stanford continued, “Scriptural, fact centered faith in the Lord Jesus as our position before the Father is the one means of experiencing that finished work in the growth of our daily condition. Spiritual birth placed us in our accepted position, from which our spiritual condition is being completed, by faith. Every Christian has been positioned forever in the risen Lord by spiritual birth. But only the believer who knows, grows. It is faith in the facts of our position that gives us the daily benefits of growth in our condition. If the believer is not clearly aware of the specific truths of the Word, he cannot exercise the necessary faith for growth and service. He can only seek his resources in the realm of self.”2 What is true of spiritual growth is also true of spiritual battle. Therefore, in spiritual warfare the New Testament church on earth must actively “stand firm” according to its heavenly position “in Christ.” It is an act of faith alone and is fundamental to experiencing victory "in Christ." Put On the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14) Positioned “in Adam,” the fallen human race is susceptible to the schemes of Satan. As indicated, however, the New Testament church is not positioned “in Adam.” Radically transformed by the redemptive work of Jesus, it is positioned “in Christ.” According to the Apostle Paul, the New Testament church was eternally positioned “in Christ” when it was “baptized into” (spiritually identified with) Him. (Romans 6:3) As a result, it was “clothed… with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27) The English word “clothed” is translated from the Greek word enduo (en-doo'-o) which means “to clothe, to dress, to put on.” It is used 28 times in the New Testament. To be “clothed… with Christ” is synonymous with having “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:14) The members of the New Testament church first “put on” Christ when they were joined to Him in a union of shared life. It was an act of God accomplished in the past at spiritual birth and appropriated in the present by grace through faith alone. Further, to be “clothed… with Christ” and to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” are synonymous with putting on the “full armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:11) Consequently, when the members of the New Testament church were originally “clothed… with Christ” and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” they also “put on the full armor of God.” Jesus Christ is the “full armor of God.” Therefore, when the Apostle Paul exhorted the New Testament church in Ephesus to “put on the full armor of God” he was telling it to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is accomplished in the present by faith in Christ and the fulfillment of His past redemptive work. Fully armored “in Christ,” the New Testament church is able to “stand firm” against every scheme of the devil. “… the [armor] of our warfare (Jesus Christ) [is] not of the flesh, but divinely powerful.” (2 Corinthians 10:4) © 2023 James Hiatt |
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