“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world-forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:11-12).
In recent posts, we have been asking the question, “What Shall I Wear Today?, about our position as royalty in Christ.
To look at it in another way, we are knights at the King’s Round Table. We are His royal ambassadors. But it is not all fun and games for those who are royalty. Before we become too heady with the rights and privileges of Throne Life, we need to be aware that both godly and malevolent principalities and powers are also found in heavenly places. Spiritual warfare is part and parcel of Throne Life. Spiritual warfare pioneer John MacMillan cautions, “The heavenlies . . . are also the place of most intense conflict. Let the believer, whose eyes have been opened to the comprehension of his throne rights in Christ, definitely accept his seat and begin to exercise the spiritual authority which it confers upon him. He quickly realizes that he is a marked man.”
Sitting with Christ on the throne of God can be a heady experience. For if we do not maintain humility, we experience the dangers of Throne Life as well as the joys and the privileges. Living Throne Life prepares us for warfare. If we are not living Throne Life, we get defeated. Throne Life does not prevent warfare and subtle deception, but it equips us to face it. Our enemy throws down many challenges to Throne Life.
Maintain Your Throne Authority in Warfare. Ultimately, our victory in times of throne warfare comes by staying alert from our vantage point on the throne, keeping dressed in our heavenly armor from the throne, and standing firm in our position at the throne: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph 6:10-11). This is what A.B. Simpson describes in his song “Living in the Glory”:
I have found a heaven below,
I am living in the glory.
Oh, the joy and strength I know,
Living in the glory of the Lord.
Storms of sorrow ‘round me fall,
But I’m living in the glory;
I can sing above them all,
Living in the glory of the Lord.
When we are maintaining the heavenly life in the midst of our earthly life, we can live in the glory of the Lord. Living in the glory does not mean absence of suffering or sorrow. Rather, it means singing above all the storms even while going through the storms. Simpson goes on to show that living in the glory also does not mean exemption from attack of evil powers:
Satan cannot touch my heart
While I’m living in the glory;
This disarms each fiery dart,
Living in the glory of the Lord.
Simpson acknowledges that the fiery darts will come. “Higher Ground,” the old theme song of the Higher Life movement, expresses this same thought:
I want to live above the world
Tho’ Satan’s darts at me are hurled
For faith has caught the joyful sound
The song of saints on higher ground.
Even above the world in the heavenlies, Satan’s darts are hurled. However, if we are living Throne Life, Satan cannot touch our heart. Even though the flaming arrows are flying all around us, and sometimes even seem to hit us, living Throne Life quenches the fiery darts, preventing them from doing permanent damage. Simpson declares further:
I can triumph over pain
While I’m living in the glory;
I can count each loss a gain,
Living in the glory of the Lord.
Again, Simpson avers, Throne Life does not mean a painless life. Rather, it means that we can endure and victoriously overcome pain. Every loss is not a permanent loss, but an ultimate gain, when we are living in the glory of Throne Life. Make this your confession in the midst of your throne warfare:
Yes, I’m living in the glory
As He promised in His Word.
I am dwelling in the heavenlies,
Living in the glory of the Lord!
Excerpted from Come Up Higher, available at www.paulkingministries.com
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