Christ Our Captain and Conqueror

Life On The Highest Plane

Conflict and Conquest

When Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven He went as Conqueror over the evil one and all his hosts. When God exalted Him to Lord over the universe He set Him at His own right hand far above all the principalities and powers that belonged to the kingdom of satan and put them all under His feet. Through His death upon the Cross Jesus Christ wrested from satan every vestige of his claim upon the world and upon men. Through His resurrection and ascension He passed as Conqueror through the enemy's territory. At His exaltation God and all the heavenly host united in crowning Him King of kings and Lord of lords, the one and only Potentate. Through His Saviourhood He has now a claim upon every man's life, and through His installation as Head of the new creation He gained the right to the worship of all that believe. He has regained for God His sovereignty over millions upon millions of lives which are now in the possession and use of their rightful owner. Jesus Christ has entered into the enemy's territory and inch by inch has won it back for God.

Ephesians 1:20-22, "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church."

1 Timothy 6:14, 15, "Our Lord Jesus Christ, which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords."

satan was judged, sentenced and doomed at the Cross of Christ but, until that sentence is executed, he is contesting fiercely the Lord's victory and with all the might of his supernatural power is fighting to hold his ground and to regain what he has lost.

This conflict is typified in the conquest of the children of Israel over the wicked nations dwelling in Canaan as recorded in the book of Joshua. The land of Canaan was the land that God promised to the seed of Abraham. It was theirs by the right of God's gift. But it was occupied by the Canaanites who were an accursed race (Genesis 9:25), and other kindred nations who also were steeped in iniquity and wickedness.

These wicked nations in the land of promise were under the leadership and control of satan to defeat God in the carrying out of His divine purpose for, in, and through, His chosen people. satan, through his emissaries, would keep God's people from the possession, enjoyment and use of their promised inheritance. These wicked nations were very powerful and, although each was under its own ruler, were easily welded together as one in an aggressive alliance against God's people.

God commanded the children of Israel first to enter the promised land and then to possess and to hold it.

Joshua 1:11, "Pass through the host, and command the people saying, Prepare you victuals: for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it."

God equipped them for the conquest of the land with a promise and a Presence; the promise was of victory, the Presence was that of the Victor.

Joshua 1:5, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee."

As they moved toward Jericho to begin the conquest of these strong, powerful enemies, there appeared unto Joshua a man with a sword drawn in his hand. It was Jehovah, the Lord, who then and there became the Captain o the hosts of the Israelites as they went forth into battle against the Lord's enemies and theirs.

Joshua 5:13-14, "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and  said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?"

Under the command of the Lord of hosts Israel went forth to take Jericho, Ai, Gibeon and to win victory over thirty-one kings. "The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel." The victory of God's children was accomplished through the presence of the Victor.

Joshua 10:42, "And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel."

The book of Joshua in the Old Testament has its counterpart in the New Testament in the Epistle to the Ephesians. The conflict and conquest of the children of Israel under Jehovah, the Captain of the host, foreshadows the conflict and conquest of the new creation, the body of Christ, under the Lord Jesus Christ, its Head and Conqueror.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 1 - "The Conquest in the Heavenlies")