“…I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
When the Israelites came out of Egypt, it was by the strong and mighty hand of the Lord, not of Moses. When they experienced the deliverance at the Red Sea, it was by the Almighty power of God revealed in their behalf. There was no other way by which they could have escaped the tyranny of Egypt, and its king, except by the direct intervention of God. And yet, no one saw Him there, only His works. When the fulness of the iniquity of the Amorites had come, and there was almost no receptivity to the revelation of true and living God, God would raise up Joshua, servant of Moses, to lead the people into the promised land, overcoming their foes to possess the land. We discover in this conquest of Canaan that it was preceded by a promise given to Joshua: “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.” (Joshua 1:5) This proved true, except when Israel sinned against God, and that covenant of trust and obedience was breached, or compromised. The great point is this: when God calls a person, or a nation, or the church of today, that living body of Christ, His call is to know first His indwelling, the “dwelling (of Christ) in the heart by faith.” It is a call whereby the power of God in the person of the Spirit of Christ comes to live, work, and manifest the life of Christ in the life. That LIFE is the true overcoming life. It is only a believer or church choosing to live by that life, that Christ’s overcoming victory is manifested. Over and over in the book of the Revelation, the matter of overcoming pertains specifically to the different churches in Asia Minor. It is there that we discover that the Overcoming Christ by His Spirit is present, but the effective outworking of the victorious life of Christ in each individual church will depend upon the attitude of faith towards God, whether it be pure, committed, uncompromising, or not. The fact is that the word of God, in Isaiah 42:4, declares that the Servant of God (Christ), this being also the Christ of the churches, “…shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law.” This same thing is true of the individual believer, or church, because the liviing, victorious Christ is present, and is willing to manifest the same overcoming life by the Spirit. Again, that which hinders him is usually a matter of faith. As John Wesley put it: “All things are possible to God; To Christ, the power of God in me; Now shed Thy mighty Self abroad, Let me no longer live, but Thee; Give me this hour in Thee to prove the sweet omnipotence of Love.” Herein is the power and victory that overcomes the world, against which the “gates of hell” cannot resist, Christ’s indestructible life working mightily in the life. What then are three things which can hinder or limit the manifestation of Christ’s victory?
The first is unbelief. When the disciples were confronted by a demon-possessed boy, and were unable to “believe” God for the son’s deliverance, the father, after hearing the Lord’s words: “…all things are possible to him that believeth,” cried out: “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) Faith’s key is the revelation of Christ Himself to the heart.
The second hindrance is sin. In the conquest of Jericho, Israel sinned by taking that which was forbidden by God. The result was that they, “…could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies.” (Joshua 7:12) Christ alone is victory.
Thirdly, the victory belongs to those who will pursue, seek, and resolutely follow Christ, abiding in communion with Him.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to believe, to follow Christ alone and wholly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.