“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” Revelation 5:5
Dear Ones:
There is a great hymn written by Reginald Heber, which begins like this: “The Son of God goes forth to war, A kingly crown to gain; His blood-red banner streams afar: Who follows in His train?” In that short phrase is revealed to us an aspect of the character, nature, of the Son of God, that we, as evangelical Christians, do not grasp enough today. It is that picture, and revelation, of the nature, strength, aggressiveness of the Lion. It was not a Lamb that overcame all the powers of darkness, and all the wickedness, and ignorance of men. It was the Lion, who by shear power and strength, with a total commitment to win the battle, did overcome on Calvary, and then did sit down, the Victor, at the right hand of God. The Son of God had indeed, gone forth to war, on our behalf, to win a crown. It was a crown which the enemy of our souls had usurped, seeking to make himself God, and the lord of sin and death. But that was not to be. The Lamb would submit to the Father’s will, become that sacrifice for sin, bearing forever on His glorified body, the scars which speak of the price He paid for our redemption. But it will be by the Lion’s spirit, the power and strength, given to the Son of God by the Spirit of God, that the foe would be conquered, and every obstacle overcome, to take the crown as Lord and King. The prince of the power of the air is still operative in our world today, but the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, is sovereign, and has overcome all, obtaining our eternal redemption. Not only is He the author and finisher of faith, but His Spirit, the Spirit of the Lion, indwells the believer, that He too can, and will overcome. For the believer today, the call comes ringing loud and clear: “To Him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.” (Rev. 3:21)
The subject of warfare is dealt with throughout Scripture. It’s beginning was in the Garden of Eden, when sin entered the world, for in that day, there was not only the serpent, Satan, who was in opposition to God, but man. There was born in Adam a nature that would be at war with God, either very actively or passively by ignoring the overtures of the Spirit of God. As the number of people grew on the earth, so did the manifestation of this war with God, for it was revealed in man’s increasing war with men. The wretchedness of the sinful nature, with its greed and self-absorption, would seek at all costs to dominate others, believing that in doing so, it would know peace and pleasure by power. From a human standpoint, this was sometimes realized, for a time. There is pleasure in sin, but there is also “wages” that will be paid to the sinner, and those wages are Satan’s murderous, and thieving, destructive actions. It is only by virtue, and greater power of the Lion of the Tribe of Juda, who overcame, that the believer, washed in the blood of the Lamb, can overcome. The great salvation to which the believer is called is one where sin is dealt with completely, and the power of God is known and expressed in the life. Christ broke the power of sin, Satan, and death itself, to set us free to live free from the guilt and penalty of sin. His victorious death, having dealt completely, totally, with sin, provided the way by which we might be completely free from the slavery to Satan, by his lies and deception. Hence, we see the importance of knowing the word of God. By the word of power, Christ’s overcoming Life has become our own.
Dear Father,
Strengthen our hearts to appropriate the Lion’s overcoming Life and power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad