In the Old Testament, many of Israel’s great victories were military. Pharaoh’s army was destroyed in the sea. Jericho fell. David defeated Goliath. Israel fought invading armies and conquered hostile nations. The enemies were often visible, and victory could be seen on a battlefield.

But when we come to the New Testament, the battlefield looks different. Paul tells us in Ephesians that our struggle is “not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). The real enemies are the principalities and powers—the spiritual forces of evil that oppose God and hold humanity in bondage. That changes the way Christians must look at the people around us. They are not enemy combatants to be conquered. They are captives to be liberated.

Paul calls unbelievers “sons of disobedience,” but before we begin looking down on them, he reminds us, “among whom also we all once conducted ourselves” (Ephesians 2:3). We were there. We once walked according to the course of this world. We once lived beneath the influence of the same powers. Never look at a son of disobedience and forget that grace found you there too.

Perhaps that is one of the great implications of being seated with Christ above the powers. We do not exercise Christ’s victory by dominating the people beneath those powers. We participate in His victory by living the Gospel among them so that those held captive can discover the same mercy that rescued us.

That means Christian victory looks very different from worldly conquest. When someone who was dead in trespasses and sins is made alive with Christ, that is victory. When someone who once walked according to the course of this world begins walking in the good works God prepared beforehand, that is victory. When someone who lived beneath the influence of the prince of the power of the air is brought into union with the Christ who sits far above every principality and power, that is victory.

The Church’s response to a hostile world, then, cannot be, “How do we destroy these people?” It must be, “How can the victory of Christ that rescued us reach them?”

We are not standing above the sons of disobedience congratulating ourselves for having escaped. We are trophies of the same mercy we want them to experience. We know what it is to have been dead and made alive, enslaved and set free, separated and brought near.

In the kingdom of God, one of the greatest demonstrations of Christ’s victory is not when an enemy is destroyed, but when a captive becomes family. ©

–PGR