My dear young Brother,
I shall now turn to the other point, namely, the nature of our conflict with wicked spirits in heavenly places. This will take us into higher regions than our last letter, still, it is a most important and truly practical subject. Indeed, so practical, that however much the flesh may be mortified, the spiritual warfare goes on. It is also, I fear, a subject that is very little understood. So few really know what it is to enjoy their heavenly portion in Christ, while passing through this world.
Association with Christ as the risen man in heaven, is but little entered into by most Christians. Hence, there is very little conflict with Satan as to the enjoyment of their possessions in heavenly places. They do not see, that at present they have any possessions there. They have a hope, that if they hold on to the end, they will come in for something at last, if it should be merely standing room within the threshold. While this is the spiritual state of the Christian, conflict in heavenly places is not experienced. Clearly, you must be in heaven, before you can fight there. Israel must cross the desert, and pass the Jordan, before they could draw a sword, or strike a blow in the promised land. We must know what it is to be dead and risen again with Christ, before we can be engaged, at least intelligently, in heavenly conflict.
But on this, as on all other subjects, we must be guided by scripture only. It is peculiarly, I think, a subject for implicit faith in scripture. Many things connected with it seem so startling, when the soul is not subject to the word of God. Satan’s aim will ever be to get the christian under the power of his own notions and feelings, in place of the word of God, and thereby to throw him off the ground of faith. When he has succeeded in this, spiritual conflict in heavenly places ceases. True, the christian may have some wearisome struggling, and many disheartening defeats; but it is not the same character of conflict as the sixth of Ephesians. He is, practically, off the ground of faith. The word of God is not his only resource. He is under the power of his own notions and feelings, and in so far as this is the case, Satan has the advantage in conflict. Human weapons are useless in this warfare, we must have “The whole armor of God.” Thus, the enemy has, as the Psalmist says, “Cast him down from his excellency.” (Psalm 62:4) And now he will do his utmost to keep him down. The christian, of course, is not happy, far from it. He is full of doubts and fears as to how it may end with him. He is in darkness. Sometimes he gets a glimpse of the star of hope through the clouds, but these bright gleams are like angels’ visits, few and far between. Poor christian, there he is, down in spirit. How often one has seen such, in a low desponding state of soul. His girdle, as it were, unbuckled, his shield off the left arm, his sword out of his right hand, and the enemy trampling him in the mire. In the struggle he has lost sight of his helmet. He questions if he is really saved. And his shoes are gone. He has lost his peace. And as for his breastplate of righteousness, he never rightly knew how to stand in it, either before his friends or his foes. Every now and then he is crying out with many tears, “Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me. When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness.” (Job 29:2, 3.)
“‘Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought,
Do I love the Lord or no,
Am I His, or am I not?”
Such, my dear brother, is the condition of thousands who really believe in Jesus, and have divine life in their souls. And this is what they understand to be, and call, christian conflict. Whereas, as you will plainly see, it is the unbelief of the heart, fighting against the word of God, and Satan taking advantage thereby. But why, you may ask, should it be so? My own opinion is this,—I believe they do not understand the blessed and glorious truth of the believer’s death and resurrection in Christ, as unfolded in scripture; especially in the epistle to the Romans, and the Ephesians. No christian, I believe, can have settled peace, except on the ground of death and resurrection. He may know, and even feel sure, that he is safe through faith in Christ, but his peace can never be solid, until he has learned from scripture, that in the death of Christ, he died out of the first Adam state, and in His resurrection, he passed into the second Adam state,—the new creation, in Christ Jesus, where all things are of God, and, consequently, where nothing can ever again be unsettled.
As a sample of many passages in the epistle to the Romans, take the following: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Chap. 6:1-11.) Mark well the words—“Likewise reckon,” like as Christ is dead unto sin—like as He is alive unto God—so reckon—count yourselves to be. Could anything be more plain, more blessed, more solid? Here the soul finds perfect, settled peace, on the Rock of Resurrection in association with the risen Jesus. Dead unto sin, and alive unto God, in the same sense and measure as Christ Himself. Thus it is in the mind of God, and it is blessedly true to faith. But we will now turn to the Ephesians.
You will have noticed a peculiarity in this Epistle as to the expression “heavenly places.” The blessings of the Church are in “heavenly places.” (Chap. 1:3.) The Church is sitting in “heavenly places.” (Chap. 2:6,) It is bearing testimony in “heavenly places.” (Chap. 3:10.) And the warfare is in “heavenly places.” (Chap. 6:12.) Believers, though on earth, are viewed in this epistle, as united to Christ the Head in heaven. This union with Christ gives the Church its wonderful position there. It is thereby brought into the same privileges and blessings as Christ Himself. More than this we can never say, know, or experience. This is indeed wonderful, but it is all wonderful. The love and the grace of God are wonderful. The cross that fits us to be there is wonderful, and must continue to be the wonder of all heaven throughout eternity. But so it is, the Head in heaven, and the members on earth, joined together through the life of the risen Jesus, and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, make ONE BODY. On this subject, read 1 Cor. 12 and similar portions. So real, so vital, so blessed is this union between the risen Lord and His Church, that He said to Saul of Tarsus, when he was persecuting the saints, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4.) As if He had been the one that Saul was hurting. To wound a member is to wound the Head. This proves living union—nay, more—a perfect Unity. And again, in our Epistle it is said, chap. 5:30, “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” What could more strongly express our oneness with the risen Head, and our nearness to Him?
You will now see, that though we are still in the wilderness, and it may be troubled on every side, we are, in the mind of God, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And further, observe, we are there in all the acceptableness of Christ Himself. “Accepted in the beloved.” Near as He is near and loved as He is loved. And this is true of all christians. The weakest as well as the strongest, the youngest as well as the oldest. We are all one in Christ. What a ground of peace and rest to the soul. Whatever He is that the christian is. Whatever He has that the christian has. Wherever He is, there the christian, in spirit—in the mind of God—necessarily is, for we are “in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1.) And again, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16.) “Because as he is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17· And now, my dear brother, see that you rightly understand your true position in the heavenlies. God in the riches of His grace, has given you that position Himself. The work is all His own. Let me show you how. If you look at the close of the first chapter of Ephesians, you will see Christ among the dead, (ver. 20,) then look at the beginning of the second chapter, and what do you find there? Jew and Gentile,—all mankind, “dead in trespasses and sins.” Christ died for sin; we were dead in sin. For the moment, there was nothing but death. Solemn moment! not a breath! The first Adam totally ruined in sin and death. The second Adam, for the moment, sealed in the tomb. Who can work in such a scene? Who can begin a new thing? Who can quicken the dead? Who can raise up a new seed? Only the God of resurrection! The work of redemption having been accomplished on the cross, the ground was laid for a new action, and God enters the scene. He, as it were, undergirds the deep caverns of the grave, and by “His mighty power” raises up the obedient Man—Christ Jesus—the second Adam, and His seed with Him. Every circumstance of death is mastered. The Head and the members—the Redeemer and the redeemed—the Saviour and the saved, are raised up together. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved,) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Now, if you look for a moment at both sides of the “But” in ver. 4, you will see what you were, and what, and where, you now are. On the far side death reigns—not a heart heaving. On the near side, there is, to begin with, the living God,—rich in mercy—great in love. He plants the pulse of life in the dead soul. But mark, it is life in resurrection with Christ. And now, He raises up and sets the quickened ones in His own presence, as all His delight. Quickened together—raised up together—seated together, in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. This then, is the true position, and the true condition, of the church in the presence of God, and consequently, of every individual christian. You cleared the shores of the old world, in the resurrection of Christ, and now live, and have your eternal, happy home in the new. The work is God’s—the foundation is the cross—it shall stand forever. “I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God doeth it that men should fear before him.” Eccles. 3:14.
You now see, dear brother, the position you have been placed in, and which you have to maintain and defend against all your spiritual enemies. “Put on,” therefore, “the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Neglect not one piece of it, or the enemy will soon discover the exposed part. Remember the wily Gibeonites. What Satan could not do by a walled city, he accomplished by stratagem. What he failed to do by Balak and Balaam he succeeded in doing by the daughters of Moab. Your wisdom, your strength are in the Lord; not in yourself. “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” Keep your eye steadily fixed on Him. Feed on Him as the fruit of the land that you may be strong in battle. “For we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” What an array of enemies, and how powerful! Principalities,—powers—the rulers of this world’s darkness—wicked spirits in high places. Human opinions—management—wisdom—power are unavailing in this warfare. Nothing but the armor—and the whole armor of God will enable the christian to stand. Mark how frequently the word “stand” occurs. This is your object, namely, “to stand”—to keep your ground—to defend your position—to resist the enemy. You are not called to rid the heavenlies of these foes. Michael and his angels will do that by and by. (Rev. 12) Now, we have the Holy Ghost, and the panoply of heaven, that we may abide in the place where God has set us.
By referring to my last letter, you will find a few hints as to the armor. There, it is more the aspect that we have to bear towards men that is spoken of. Here, I had intended to add a few words more on the different pieces of the armor, as to its aspect towards, or in conflict with our spiritual foes, but this letter is already long.
Perhaps, at some future time, I may write you again, following out the same subject. In the meantime, let me earnestly entreat you, to study closely from scripture, the difference between what may be called the trials of the wilderness and the wars of Canaan; the manna was sufficient for the former, the old corn of the land was needed for the latter. Now, you require both. As a matter of experience you are in the wilderness,—as a matter of faith you are in heaven. Feed on Christ the fruit of the heavenly land, and walk in the light as He is in the light. Remember Satan is the ruler of the darkness of this world, not of the light of heaven. There is no surer way of escaping Satan than by walking in the light; he is certain not to be there.
May God be your sun and shield, my dear young brother, until the blessed Lord Himself shall come, and sweetly close our pilgrim path—and take us up to be with Himself, far beyond the reach of every enemy, and of every hindrance to the full enjoyment of Himself in the Paradise of God forever.
“How sweet the shout of victory,
That ends the battle’s roar;
And sweet the weary warrior’s rest
When all His toils are o’er.”
So prays, ever affectionately,
Yours in Jesus,