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1. The Origin of the Universal Warfare
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Colossians 2:15 reveals that at the cross Christ stripped off the
rulers and authorities and openly displayed them,
triumphing over them.
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The cross is the center of the universal warfare. Through His death Christ destroyed the devil, who has the
might of death, and dealt with sin, death,
Satan, and the world.
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The Bride does not fight by natural
strength; she fights by standing on Christ’s accomplished victory.
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Do not try to overcome Satan by ourselves. Apply Christ’s cross, reject the self, the natural
life, and the flesh, and stand on the victory
already gained by Christ.
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Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; John
12:31
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2. The Ultimate Purpose of the Warfare
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Spiritual
warfare is
not for personal victory or self-improvement but for
God’s interest, so that the kingdom of God may be brought in. Revelation
12:10 announces that the
salvation, power, kingdom of God, and
authority of His Christ have come.
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The purpose of spiritual warfare is to bring in the
kingdom of God. Satan frustrates God’s will and kingdom; the church fights by standing on God’s side so
that His will may be carried out on earth.
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The Bride’s
victory is not for her own glory but for the kingdom and interest of her Bridegroom.
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Pray, “Your
kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.” Reject Satan’s usurpation in the church life and
daily life.
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Matt. 6:10; Rev. 12:10;
Eph. 6:12
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3. The Nature of the Warfare—Spiritual
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Ephesians 6
shows that our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against
the spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenlies. Therefore, the warfare is not by human methods, politics,
flesh, or natural strength.
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The real enemy
is Satan and his forces of darkness.
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If the Bride is
to reign with Christ, she must first learn to stand in spiritual warfare.
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Put on the
whole armor of God—truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith,
salvation, and the word of God—and pray in spirit.
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Eph. 6:10–18
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4. Spiritual Warfare Is a Matter of the Body
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Ephesians 6 presents the church corporately as fighting the spiritual
warfare. Revelation 17:14 speaks of those who
are “with Him,” and Revelation 19:14 speaks
of the armies in heaven following Christ.
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Spiritual warfare is
not individual heroism but corporate warfare in the
Body.
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The Bride is
first a corporate person, and
she is
also a corporate army. The more mature the Bride becomes, the more she expresses the oneness of the Body.
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Learn
coordination, submission to the Head, mutual intercession, and one accord. Do not fight independently or
individually.
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Eph. 1:22–23; 6:12–18;
Rev. 17:14; 19:14
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5. Fighting for God’s Interest on Earth
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The church is
God’s testimony on earth. It must stand on God’s position and oppose the enemy’s
usurpation of God’s rights and interests.
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God desires to
gain a corporate man on earth who expresses Him, represents Him, and carries out His will.
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The Bride not only enjoys the Bridegroom; she also stands on the
Bridegroom’s side and fights for His interest.
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Allow Christ to
be Lord in our family, church life, work, and daily living; reject
sin, the world, the self, and Satan’s hindrances.
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Matt. 16:18; Eph. 3:10;
6:12
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6. The Bride Must Mature and Overcome
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Revelation 19:7 says, “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” This readiness is
related to the maturity and victory of the
overcoming believers.
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The maturity of the Bride includes growth in life,
transformation in disposition, the formation of Christ, and overcoming.
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We cannot have merely the enjoyment of the Bride without the victory of the warrior. The
more mature the Bride becomes, the more she can become an army.
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Pursue growth
in life and the formation of Christ; endure trials and overcome the enemy in every circumstance.
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Rev. 19:7; 21:2; Eph.
4:13–15
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7. The Marriage Feast and the Army Are Related
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Revelation 19:7–9 speaks of the marriage of the Lamb, and verse 14 immediately presents the armies in heaven following Christ.
This shows the close relationship between the Bride and the army that follows Christ.
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The marriage and the warfare are not two unrelated events; they are two
closely related aspects of God’s economy at
the end of the age.
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The Bride is
prepared both for the marriage and to fight together with the
Bridegroom against the enemy.
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Do not seek only to enjoy Christ as the Bridegroom; seek also to become His counterpart, acting with Him according to
His purpose.
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Rev. 19:7–9, 14
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8. Christ Is the Fighting General
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Revelation 19:11–16 reveals Christ coming on a white horse. He is called “the
Word of God” and “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF
LORDS,” leading the armies of heaven in warfare.
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The center of the warfare is not us but Christ. He is the
Commander, General, King, and Bridegroom.
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The Bride’s
army does
not fight independently. It follows Christ into battle. He goes before us, and we fight in Him and by
following Him.
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Accept Christ
as the Head in everything. Do not fight according to our own will; follow
the Lamb wherever He goes.
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Rev. 19:11–16; 14:4
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9. Christ as the Son of Man Needs the Bride
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Christ comes as
the Son of Man and needs a counterpart who corresponds to
Him. This counterpart is the Bride.
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God’s economy requires a corporate person who
corresponds to Christ. Christ is the Head and the church is His Body;
Christ is the Bridegroom and the church is
His Bride.
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The Bride is
Christ’s increase, counterpart, and correspondence. Therefore, she must correspond to Him in life, nature, expression,
and function.
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Let Christ live
in us as our life so that we may be transformed in life and nature and become His
counterpart.
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Matt. 26:64; Rev. 14:14;
21:2, 9; Eph. 5:25–27
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10. The Bride Must Overcome the Evil One
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Christ will
marry the overcoming ones. Revelation 12:11 says that the saints overcome
the dragon because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony.
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Overcoming is an essential part of the Bride’s
preparation. The Bride does not passively wait for the
marriage; she is perfected through warfare.
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Overcomers → the prepared Bride → the
army following Christ.
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By the blood of
the Lamb, reject Satan’s accusations; by the word of testimony,
declare Christ’s victory, even unto death.
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Rev. 12:11; 19:7; 21:2
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11. The Wedding Garment Is Also the Qualification for
the Army
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Matthew 22:11–12 shows that a wedding garment is required for the wedding
feast. Revelation 19:7–8 says that the Bride
is clothed in bright and clean fine linen,
which is “the righteousnesses of the saints.”
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Christ lived out of us becomes our practical
righteousness. This qualifies us not only to attend the wedding
feast but also to participate in the army.
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The wedding
garment gives the Bride the qualification to become Christ’s army.
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Live Christ
daily. Do
not merely receive Christ objectively as our
righteousness; allow Christ to become our subjective, practical, daily
righteousness.
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Matt. 22:11–12; Rev.
19:7–8
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12. Objective Righteousness and Subjective
Righteousness
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The righteousness
for salvation is Christ as our righteousness before God. The
righteousness for the wedding feast is Christ lived out of us as our daily righteousness.
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Justification gives us salvation; the righteousness of
life enables us to overcome and be prepared as the Bride.
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The Bride’s
beauty is not natural morality or self-improvement but Christ
living in us and being expressed through us.
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Every day allow
the indwelling Christ to live in us so that His nature, character,
and living may be expressed through us.
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2 Cor. 5:21; Phil.
1:19–21; Rev. 19:8
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13. The Battle of Armageddon
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Revelation 19:11–21 portrays Christ and His army fighting against the
Antichrist and his armies.
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God will
ultimately openly judge and destroy the forces that rebel
against Him, so that Christ may fully possess the
earthly authority.
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The Bride-army fights with Christ, signifying that the church participates with Christ in
executing God’s judgment.
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Today we learn
to overcome in spiritual reality; in the coming kingdom age we will reign
with Christ.
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Rev. 19:11–21; 17:14; 20:4
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14. Today’s Warfare and the Future Warfare
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Today the
church fights against the spiritual forces of darkness in Ephesians 6; in Revelation 19 Christ and His army openly defeat the Antichrist.
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Today’s spiritual warfare prepares the way for the
future kingdom warfare.
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Today we are being trained as warriors; in the future
we will fight and reign with Christ.
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Faithfully
practice standing, praying, resisting, and overcoming now; do
not wait until the future to begin spiritual
warfare.
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Eph. 6:12–18; Rev. 19:14;
20:4
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15. The Ultimate Union of the Bride and the Warrior
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Ephesians 5:25–27 reveals Christ’s desire for a glorious church as His
Bride. Revelation 19:7–9 reveals that the
Bride has made herself ready; verses 11–16 reveal
Christ leading His army into battle.
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The Bride is the result of love; the warrior is the
result of victory. A mature Bride must be an overcoming warrior.
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The Bride expresses Christ’s love and beauty; the warrior expresses Christ’s
victory and authority. Both are
aspects of the mature church.
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On the one hand, enjoy Christ as the Bridegroom; on the other hand,
accept Him as the Head. On the one hand, be
loved by Him; on the other hand, stand for
Him. On the one hand, prepare for the
marriage; on the other hand, prepare for warfare.
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Eph. 5:25–27; Rev. 19:7–16
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16. The Ultimate Consummation—the Bride Becomes the
Army
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The ultimate
church God gains is not a weak, passive group merely enjoying
Christ but a mature, overcoming corporate
person who follows Christ and fights with Him
against the enemy.
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The maturity of the Bride is marked by overcoming, while the victory of the army is
centered on Christ.
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Love → Life → Maturity → Victory → Bride → Army → Kingdom.
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Grow in life
daily, stand in the truth, coordinate in the Body, fight in prayer, and allow Christ to be expressed in our living.
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Eph. 5:25–27; 6:10–18;
Rev. 12:11; 19:7–16; 21:2, 9
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