He Must Reign

Psalms 149; 1 Corinthians 15-16 

“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet…If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained?”

1 Corinthians 15:24, 25, 32

The “wild beasts” Paul fought in Ephesus were not animals in the arena, but spiritual powers of darkness opposed to the advance of the Church. Jesus was building his Church in Ephesus, and the gates of hell could not stop that advance. Leaders like Paul were declaring the reign of Christ above all other gods, including Artemis and Diana, and inviting people to spiritual freedom. Jesus reigns today in heaven and on earth and he is looking to express his authority through his body, the Church who are making disciples of all nations. We, too, fight spiritual battles as the enemy resists the advance of the Church in our contests.

Are we clear on the nature of this battle, Christ’s authority, and our part in God’s mission?

“Lord Jesus, rule and reign in and through me, for your glory.”