The Lord's Battle

The victory is Christ's. The battle has already been won, though fighting continues. Warfare continues, though the Victor reigns.

More to His glory, that each battle results in a greater testimony to the truth of His all-sufficiency and love.

The greater the attacks, the more blatant, the more deeply they cut to the quick of one's emotions...the nearer to defeat is the enemy, on such front. And the enemy tries all sorts of things to regain some semblance of footing, but without success, ultimately.

Because there's no foothold in Christ for the devil. The devil has absolutely no part with Him, whatsoever.

And couldn't, no matter how hard he tried to undermine or overturn Christ's purposes...no matter what angle of attack is attempted: Even pressing Christ unto death, in suffering, and through derision, mockery, rejection, and all manner of likewise assaults on both Himself, and thereafter, upon those whom He loves...Christ remains steadfast, thus so do those who abide in Him.

He is unwavering, strong, a high tower, a shield, and strong defense.

He is absolutely imperturbable, in the midst of even the most chaotic storm.

Nothing can overrule Him nor unsettle Him, and nothing can wrest from His keeping those who are His. Nothing. He was very explicit and utterly direct on that point, in particular--which for a One who used so many parables, to convey messages?: His complete transparence on that matter resounds with clarion authority.

So--no doubt. No second-guessing. No point entertaining alternate possibilities, alternate endings. There's only one--that which has been ordained by God. Period.

Even free will only exists within the limits which He ordained: Being God gives Him absolute prerogative on all matters, and He will have His way.

With hearts, with lives, with nations, with the whole world.

We will all bow to Him--to Christ Jesus, God incarnate. We will all acknowledge the absolute sovereignty of God.

Because He owns us--all the earth and all that's on it...all which exists, ultimately. So we are all His, whether we wish to acknowledge Him as our ruler or not, in the here and now. But, ultimately there'll be no denying that truth. Whatsoever.

He said so. It is written...every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Honestly, even knowing Him, loving Him, and longing to serve Him...the absolute truth of what it will mean to stand before an all-powerful, all-knowing, thrice holy God unsettles, terrifies. ...though love for Him does reassure...longing for His nearness does offset terror of Him...and joy at His goodness and mercy tempers all else, yet unto a sense of being all the more unworthy...and all the more grateful...

...still, knowledge regarding what that will be to appear before Him--even so slight a knowledge--makes the eventuality all the more fearsome.

All the more impetus to continually and increasingly make peace with Him while still on the way, while there's still time to further conform to His ways, His image, His being.

To never cease making peace with Him, is so vital.

When a resistance to admit to sinfulness, a resistance to wholly acknowledge His absolute supremacy, or anywise irksomeness of being confronted with inherent personal wrongness creeps up when considering any matter (though especially regarding God), it often seems primarily to indicate the flesh has taken hold, given room to the devil. Such as then asserts pride and desire for self-exaltation as reasonable.

Accepting the blame, then, although Christ accepted the consequences. He paid the price in full. So, what harm is there is accepting even wholly undue blame? None. Especially not when our own God and Lord willingly accepted the total brunt of the consequences for our own wrongdoings. And especially as sin has so stained us that none is good, apart from Christ.

Pride loathes the idea of accepting the blame when it's not due, though. Pride wants to present its own case, give its own justification. Pride wants to speak on its own behalf, rather than humbling self and doing as God decreed, to allow Him to defend His own. To exalt them.

There are so many different instances, though, that this even is a prayerful course--the Lord has to lead.

But just of recent...

...those instances of which this is the necessary course have been recurrent.

Very much like He told Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:17)...is often, so often the case...

You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf... 

For it's not against flesh and blood that we battle.

And, even so, then the battle is the Lord's.