PrintWhat I am trying to say in the second part of this three part article is that it is vital we think in terms of two kingdoms in conflict with our planet and its inhabitants as the battlefield. If we are to make sense of the social, moral, political and military agendas that bombard us each and every day, we must think Kingdom.
To think in Kingdom terms means the following for me.
[1] The whole human race and each member of it belongs to one of two kingdoms - the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Satan. The Kingdom of light or the Kingdom of darkness. The Kingdom of truth or the kingdom of falsehood.The Kingdom of life or the Kingdom of death.
[2] The primary factor determining which Kingdom we belong to is our response to God's rescue mission when He sent His Son to save us and deliver us from one kingdom into the other.
"For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. (Col 1:13 NLT)
[3] Those who have defected from the false kingdom now live in the Kingdom of light under the reign and authority of King Jesus. But we live in the presence of the kingdom of darkness. We don't belong to that kingdom (anymore) but it is still active all around us as we seek to neutralise its power and influence by declaring its ultimate defeat and calling on those who are still under the power and influence of the dark king and his kingdom to defect by letting King Jesus rescue them and deliver them into His Kingdom.
Because I embrace this "Kingdom paradigm" I am not surprised by the strategies and initiatives that emerge from the dark kingdom. Disappointed? Yes. Angry? Often. Intimidated? Occasionally. Surprised? No.
The agenda of the dark kingdom is the eradication of the image of God wherever it is found. Since we humans are all made in the image of God, we are primary targets in this kingdom conflict. The strategy of the enemy is to use whatever means he can employ to deceive, undermine, neutralise, conquer and destroy us.
Let us be clear here. Satan is committed to our destruction. Nothing less and nothing else will satisfy him.
So what should be our response to all this "Kingdom" emphasis? More about in the final part of this three part article next.
