There Is Conflict!

But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. [Numbers 33.55]

If we consider this in the light and understanding of Jesus and the Kingdom He brought to earth, we get a clear picture of the spiritual dominion God fully intends for His Church, the Body of Christ, to exercise on earth today.

And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. [Matthew 11.12]

I looked at multiple translations of this passage in Matthew (spoken by Jesus Himself) and concluded that the Kingdom of God is no place for namby-pamby Christians. Whether one determines that the proponents of the Kingdom of God are on the defensive or the offensive, the fact is undeniable: there is conflict!

If we also take something the Apostle Paul wrote into consideration, we might further conclude that Christians are indeed on the offensive as it pertains to God's Kingdom:

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. [2 Corinthians 10.3-4]

Waging war is an offensive move.

We might even further understand the militaristic and offensive nature of Kingdom dominion on earth in Paul's description of the armor each believer is to be equipped with!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. [Ephesians 6.10-18]

The last thing a Christian should be surprised by is conflict.

Father, help us as believers to understand the offensive nature of Your Kingdom "coming on earth!" Help us to understand that the imposition of Your "will on earth as it is in heaven" is a "waging of war" on the way things are on earth!