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Chapter 77 - Life-Based Warfare |
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There are only two approaches to spiritual warfare: law-based or life-based (zoe). Only the life-based (zoe) approach enables the New Testament church to “stand firm” against the schemes of the devil in the “evil day.” Consequently, Satan encourages the law-based approach to spiritual warfare.
Law and Life By grace alone, the citizens of God’s kingdom are privileged to share life (zoe) with Jesus Christ, the mediator of the Eternal Covenant. His life (zoe) is manifested within by His indwelling Spirit of life (zoe). As a result, the citizens of the kingdom of God “live by the Spirit” and by nature are said to be “according to the Spirit” and “in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25; Romans 8:4, 5, NIV; 8:9). Consequently, they are privileged to exist in the realm or sphere of the Spirit. Life shared with Christ is not governed according to the rule of law. It is governed by the gracious rule of His indwelling life (zoe). (cf. John 14:6; Acts 3:15; 5:20; Romans 5:10, 17, 21; 6:4-5, 8-11; 13-14; 7:4-6; 10; 8:1-14; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 4:10-11; 5:4; Galatians 2:19-20; 3:1-5; 27; 5:18; Ephesians 2:5-6; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 2:13; 3:1-4; 1 John 5:20; etc.) In the New Testament, the rule of life (zoe) is described as the “law of faith,” the “Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus,” the “law of Christ,” the “perfect law,” and the “law of liberty.” (Romans 3:27; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2; James 1:25; 2:12) It is often referred to in this book as the “rule of life.” The rule of law is performed for God. It is recognized by religious effort, human weakness, faithlessness, dead works, bondage, and “fruit for death.” In contrast; the rule of life is fulfilled with God. It is characterized by grace, love, divine effort, infinite power, faithfulness, living (zoe) works, freedom, and “fruit for God” beyond human measure. (cf. Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 John 5:3) The intimate presence of God and the gracious, personal rule of His indwelling life (zoe) provide both the motive and power for the New Testament church to persevere in its daily walk. “…it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) According to the gracious rule of life (zoe), the conduct of the New Testament church is no longer measured in accordance with the righteous requirement of the rule of law. There is no law capable of measuring the fullness and fruitfulness of divine life (zoe). (cf. Galatians 5:22-23) |
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Law-Based Warfare
Among other things, the modern religious church is ignorant of its justification from the transgression of the rule of law, its release from the jurisdiction of the rule of law, its rescue from satanic authority, the indwelling presence of Jesus Christ and His gracious rule of life (zoe). As a result, it is susceptible to law-based practice. Satan does his best to distract the New Testament church from the fullness of life (zoe) and incomparable power available in Jesus Christ. Therefore, he attempts to encourage the church to respond to his schemes according to law. It shifts the practical focus of the church away from Christ. Christ is not central when the New Testament church chooses to practice law. Instead, the fulfillment of law is central. Occupied with doing things for Christ rather than with Him, it is focused on transgression and its related debt, duty, death, and darkness. The law-based church is fixated on sin and death instead of the living (zoe) Savior. Therefore, it is consumed with works of self-effort for God and the related unending burden of transgression, guilt, condemnation, and confession. Thus, it does not have the time or energy to address the schemes of Satan and he is free to deceive. Although rare, the law-based church does occasionally recognize satanic deception. If it responds, however, it is not likely to counter with anything other than a powerless, law-based response. Satan’s law-based strategy for warfare is constructed on nothing more than deception and lies. For it to succeed, the living (zoe) church must be ignorantly complicit. |
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Life-Based Warfare
By the unconditional benefit of the Eternal Covenant, the New Testament church has been justified from all transgression of divine law (sin), released from the jurisdiction of law, and rescued from satanic authority. As a result, it was made legally suitable to share life with Jesus Christ, the mediator of the covenant. Joined to God by a union of shared life with Jesus Christ, the New Testament church is seated with Christ in a heavenly position of victory at the right hand of the Father. Consequently, it has access to the incomparable power of the living (zoe) God by grace through faith alone. In contrast to a dead, law-based approach, victory in spiritual warfare requires the New Testament church to “stand firm” against the schemes of the devil in accordance with its new life shared with Jesus Christ. It is a life-based (zoe) approach to spiritual warfare characterized by the incomparable power of God. Incomparable Power The incomparable power of divine life (zoe) within the church is a consistent theme in the New Testament. For example, the Apostle Paul prayed that the ancient church at Ephesus would know, among other things, “what is the surpassing greatness of His power.” (Ephesians 19a) He then explained that the power of God toward the believer is “in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 19b-21) In his prayer for the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul used four different Greek words to describe the power of God within the New Testament church: |
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It is of interest to note Paul’s other usage of the four words in the rest of his letter to the Ephesians:
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The four Greek words can be defined as follows:
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As indicated by Paul’s prayer, the incomparable power of the Father, demonstrated through His resurrection of the Son, was made accessible to the New Testament church by means of shared life. (Ephesians 1:3-14 delineates some of the blessings of shared life) He indicates that life shared between God and His ecclesia became available when it was “made…alive together with Christ…and raised…up with Him, and seated…with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5-6)
In Ephesians chapter 3, Paul again prayed for the church in ancient Ephesus. He specifically prayed that the Father would grant believers “to be strengthened (kratous) with power (dunamis) through His Spirit in the inner man.” The inner strengthening would allow Christ to dwell comfortably within the believer. Strengthened from within by divine life (zoe), the believer is “rooted and grounded in love.” Secured in the love of God, he is privileged to “comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth” of His living (zoe), indwelling presence and thereby, “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.” The ultimate purpose of the inner strengthening is so that the believer “may be filled up to all the fullness of the living (zoe) God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19) While the love of God for His children indeed “surpasses knowledge,” the subject of the phrase “breadth and length and height and depth” is not, as often presumed, the love of God in Christ. Contextually, it was used by Paul regarding the power of the Spirit of Christ in the inner man and Christ dwelling in the inner man. The intent of his prayer was for the believer to be “filled up to all the fullness of God.” Therefore, according to context of usage, the subject of reference was clearly the indwelling Christ. Consequently, the apostle prayed that the Ephesians would comprehend the “breadth and length and height and depth” of the indwelling life (zoe) of Christ, characterized not only by incomparable power but love that “surpasses knowledge.” Indeed, the apostle’s blessing that immediately followed emphasized the incomparable power of indwelling life (zoe). “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21) The power of the living (zoe) God “that works within” the New Testament church is the same power by which Christ was resurrected and seated at the right hand of the Father far above all opposition. Therefore, it is “able to do far… beyond all that we ask or think.” Conclusion Law is powerless. For that reason, the devil strongly encourages the New Testament church to respond to his schemes with a law-based approach. It provides him with the false guilt, means, and authority to accuse the church of transgression. Therefore, it is susceptible to his schemes and powerless to “stand firm.” Through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, however, God has provided everything necessary for the New Testament church to “stand firm” against devilish schemes. Justified from all transgression of divine law, released from the jurisdiction of divine law, and rescued from the domain of his authority, it was raised with Christ to a position far superior to its fallen, powerless position under the rule of law apart from Him. As a result, it was granted the unparalleled privilege of sharing life with Jesus Christ. Joined to the ascended Christ, it is seated in victory at the right hand of the Father in heaven where it has access to incomparable power. Appropriated by grace through faith alone, there is no scheme of the devil that can stand against it. © 2023 James Hiatt |
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