Enemies of God ∙∙

Enemies of God ∙∙

While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son – Romans 5:10

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

 14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.

 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.

 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?

On July 4, 2019, Washington, DC, was the stage for the “Salute to America” parade, a grand celebration of the history and achievements of the United States of America. The event spotlighted all the major branches of the United States Armed Forces, with a B-2 stealth bomber, F-35 and F-18 fighters, and V-22 Ospreys gracing the skies.

The President of the United States declared, “Together, we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told: the story of America. It is the epic tale of a great nation whose people have risked everything for what they know is right and what they know is true. And it is the saga of thirteen separate colonies that united to form the most just and virtuous republic ever conceived.”

In the first century, Roman rulers celebrated the conquests of their enemies with victory parades. They were called Triumphs. These Triumphs flaunted their power and supremacy. Their conquered enemies were made to march before them as they made their triumphant entry into Rome.

It is easy to forget that we have become comfortable in our Christian faith and that each of us was once an enemy of the Father. We were born into this world in a state of separation and hostility towards Him. At the moment of our salvation, the Father conquered us. He transformed us from being His enemies into His beloved children.

In 2 Corinthians 2:14, Paul depicts us as once-defeated enemies of the Father, now being led in victory. He refers to each one of us, the children of the King. Our sinful natures had made us prisoners of sin. We may have been oblivious to the fact that we were already hopeless captives and slaves to our sinful ways and passions, leading to inevitable sin and death. But through the Lord Jesus Christ, we’ve been liberated from this terrifying bondage.

Our sinful proclivities have been conquered through the cross and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We no longer have to live in the prison of torment and guilt as slaves to our former slave master, the enemy of our souls. We have been emancipated and turned loose to live as free and forgiven children of our Father, the living God.

The Lord Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin and death. He has extended His victory to us. The Father God is the supreme conqueror, with Lord Jesus Christ as the commanding officer, leading the victory procession. We have now been “captured” by the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him joyfully. The fragrance we enjoy and emit is a life-giving perfume rather than the dreadful smell of death and doom.

REFLECT & PRAY

Without a doubt, I have lived way too much of my life as a prisoner of sin and an enemy of The Father.

Father thank You for setting me free and allowing me to triumph over my past.

INSIGHT

The Lord Jesus Christ defeated the forces of evil and darkness. He also took on the forces of evil and darkness within me and took away their sting and dominion over my life. They no longer have power over me. I am now free to be a sweet-smelling fragrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. This pleasant aroma commemorates His victory. Paul uses the word picture of a Roman Triumph to help us understand what really happened. The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate unmitigated conqueror.

A Roman general could receive no more significant accolade than a Triumph. However, he had to meet specific criteria to be eligible for this great honor. He needed to have been the commander-in-chief on the battlefield. The campaign should have concluded with peace restored in the region and the victorious soldiers returned home.

During a Triumph, the victorious general would March through Rome’s streets towards the Capitol in a grand procession. He would ride a chariot drawn by four horses and be adorned in a purple tunic featuring golden palm leaf embroidery and a purple toga decorated with golden stars. An ivory scepter topped with the Roman eagle was held in his grasp, while a slave held Jupiter’s crown over his head. His family and the army, who wore all their medals, trailed behind him and chanted their victory cry, Io triumphe!

A commander-in-chief who achieved a comprehensive victory on foreign land, causing a minimum of 5,000 enemy casualties and acquiring new territory for the Emperor, earned the right to a Roman Triumph. The procession would showcase the commander in a golden chariot, surrounded by his officers, and display the spoils of war and captive enemy soldiers. Roman priests carrying burning incense to honor the victorious army would join the parade.

The procession would follow a designated route through the city, culminating at the Circus Maximus. The captured enemies would be forced to fight wild beasts for public amusement. A “Roman Triumph” was a special day of full-scale celebration. In modern times, it may compare to the pomp and circumstance of the Super Bowl.

How can we relate this historical event to the struggles of the children of the King today? The Lord Jesus Christ, our supreme Leader, came to a foreign land (Earth) and vanquished the enemy (Satan). Instead of taking away 5,000 lives, He granted life to more than 5,000 individuals – over 3,000 at Pentecost and another 2,000 plus shortly after that (Acts 2:41; 4:4). Jesus Christ claimed the rewards of his battle – lost souls that had previously been enslaved by sin and Satan (Luke 11:14-22; Ephesians 4:8; Colossians 2:15). This was indeed a spectacular victory!

The sons of the triumphant general would follow behind their father’s chariot, participating in his victory; this is the position of believers today – entering into the Lord Jesus Christ’s triumph. We don’t engage in battle to achieve victory; we fight from the standpoint of victory. The circumstances in both Asia and Corinth did not seem to be victorious. But Paul’s Faith in God transformed defeat into victory (Barclay).

“That is the picture that is in Paul’s mind. He sees Christ marching in triumph throughout the world and [Paul] himself in that conquering procession. It is a triumph which, Paul is certain, nothing can stop” (Barclay).

When we think of the enemies of God, who are they? The enemy of our souls and his servants, the forces of darkness. But there’s more. Sadly, each child of the King was once an enemy of their King. But all that has changed.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

“In Romans 1:18-32, Paul explained how men declared war on God and, because of this, deserved to be condemned eternally. But God did not declare war on man. Instead, He sent His Son as the Peacemaker (Ephesians 2:11-18) so that men might be reconciled to God” (Wiersbe). Rather than defeated enemies, we are now the children of the King. Through reconciliation, we have been adopted into God’s Forever Family. We now have fellowship with a Father and the Son.

Nowadays, we witness a multitude of parades celebrating a plethora of diverse elements, including the quest for justice, identity, ethnicity, national heritage, historical events, and the demand for freedom. Some parades seem pretty troubling to many children of the King. The Scriptures do not support many causes celebrated in the public square. A rainbow in and of itself is beautiful. But for every child of the King, it is a reminder that the Father promised never to destroy the earth again with a flood. Thus, when we see a parade, it can be much more than just a parade celebrating whatever cause. We can bring our own meaning to it. From this point forward, whenever we watch these parades, we can choose to envision the triumphant procession of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The

Lord Jesus Christ is leading a triumphal procession across the globe. There is nothing and no one in the entire world that could defeat Him. He is the supreme commander-in-chief and the ultimate victor.

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© Dr. H 2024