The Victorious Ones

The Old Testament prophet Daniel was given a vision for our time, beloved, but it was not something that he could well understand in his day because Daniel did not yet have a revelation of THE CROSS, and therefore he had to process his dreams and his visions by way of his Old Testament understanding. WE though, should be able to see through Daniel’s visions (and also some of the visions given to John on Patmos) that the saints of God in the end of the age are to be warred against, broken, and seemingly defeated, but will ultimately come forth as THE VICTORIOUS ONES who inherit the Kingdom of God as first-fruits of the resurrection.Yes, I am saying here that even many of God’s elect may be overcome (in a physical sense) by Satan in the end of this age but in the process of thembeing overcome they will actually OVERCOME Satan himself (I say “in a physical sense” here, because we have a promise of being “kept” [Gk- “tereo”– “watched over, guarded, and protected”] from the evil one [John 17:15], but this implies our protection from spiritual harm, not an escape from tribulation or physical harm, not even an escape from physical death).

Beloved, the saints overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by them not loving their lives unto death. You should be able to see THE CROSS in this, especially in that what Jesus did on Calvary is going to be demonstrated once again BUT IN HIS CHURCH at the end of this age. Jesus came to defeat the works of the devil, and He legally did that on the cross at Calvary. What many Christians don’t seem to realize though is that Jesus HAS TURNED THE OUTWORKING OF THAT VICTORY OVER TO HIS CHURCH, and this outworking is something that will be done in the exact same manner that the victory was LEGALLY acquired by Jesus 2000 years ago – by the power of God’s love as revealed in the Wisdom of the Cross. Let me try to further explain…

There is a spiritual principle that I see worked out very powerfully in men when we go into the streets and alley-ways of our cities and share Christ’s unconditional love and kindness. This principle is that LOVE BREAKS SATAN’S POWER OVER MEN. Now, if giving out money, or food, or helping someone find shelter can shake up Satan’s kingdom (and God has confirmed that it does), then what do you think happens in the spirit realm when perhaps the highest form of love is demonstrated through men to men (and angels)?”What kind of love is that?” you say…

Well, the following verse might help bring some understanding to this…

“Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)Beloved saints, Daniel was staggered to the point of illness by the limited revelation that he was given for this very thing that I write about today. Daniel couldn’t quite process how victory could be won by the saints of God in what looked like their physical defeat. This is because Daniel understood not the WISDOM AND THE POWER OF THE CROSS as it is demonstrated through men to men and even powers in heavenly places. In a similar way, I don’t expect those who do not yet have the mind of Christ on this subject to actually embrace what is written here. It is only for THE JOY SET BEFORE US and by us seeing from THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE OF GOD in Christ that we can embrace the glorious destiny that God has prepared for us. May we pray then, that by God’s grace, we might not only be able to SEE from His perspective and EMBRACE these things, but that we will actually be able to ENDURE such things all the way to the end of this pathway for God’s elect – the manifestation of true Sons.

I hear many Christians today say, “All of creation is groaning in waiting for the Sons of God to be revealed” and then they say to their friends, “Arise Sons!” as if these people have actually attained to “Sonship” but just need to make themselves known to people. I have to laugh at this though (with a tear in my eye) because in many cases it’s quite obvious that this proclamation is coming forth from people who are not (really) living lives laid down for other people. They’re just being zealous. Surely, God has delegated for His Sons to gain the total victory over Satan in the end of the age (who currently holds all of creation in bondage), but this victory will be appropriated through “Sons” who actually walk in the sufferings and the maturity and the authority of Christ, and who DO what they are called by the Father to DO! “Sonship” to these is not just something to talk about, or to write about, or hold conferences about all the time, it is about LIVES FULLY GIVEN AS SACRIFICIAL BURNT OFFERINGS to God for the sake of people.The truth is, friends, the Church has been given all authority and power over the evil one, but most all of the Church today has not APPROPRIATED what they’ve been given and this is because they’ve not REALLY laid down their lives in a manner which is evident in genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. We’re married to the world and to self-rule in ways that we can’t even imagine, beloved, so, GOD HAS A PLAN FOR OUR DRASTIC CHANGE!

I have shared a bit with you about what this “plan for change” is, and I know that it seems to be a paradox to some of you that a remnant people will be brought into the fullness of the overcoming life through what looks like their utter defeat. But this is the wisdom of God as seen through the Cross of Jesus Christ, and it only SEEMS to be a paradox to minds that think as carnal men do (even as Peter, who, with honest and good intentions, counseled Jesus NOT to go to the cross).

I know that some of what I’ve been sharing lately is rubbing some people the wrong way. I can assure you though, it’s the right way that these folks are being “rubbed,” it just feels wrong to their flesh because the wisdom of man and the preservation of his flesh is diametrically opposed to the WISDOM OF GOD which dictates that we LIVE AS SACRIFICES unto God in the earth, even as “sheep being led to the slaughter.” By man’s wisdom man overcomes adversity by striking back when struck, or by vindicating himself when falsely accused. But this is not THE WAY OF THE CROSS. No. The Wisdom of the Cross is a wisdom by which a man (in meekness and as led by the Spirit) allows himself to actually be overcome by men in the flesh, sometimes overcome to the point of death (as Jesus).

Shocking to be asked to live in such a way?… like Jesus?

Perhaps.