Two Divisions No More (Luke 11:23)

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23)

Life is a battle or war, so we must take a side one or the other. There is no neutral ground in war. However, our war is not against other people, race, or class but against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). It is a spiritual warfare, not a physical one. We are waging this civil war within as Paul says, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” (Romans 7:22-23) 

Our enemy is within us, lurking to attack at any moment through mind and thought. The devil is still allowed to access to human minds and emotions until the end of this waging war, death. Those who are not yet regenerated in Christ are under the rule and control of the powers of this dark world and cannot stand in the side of God. They are the spoils of the devil. But the regenerated people who are born again in Christ Jesus were delivered by the power of God that bound the spiritual forces of evil and took His captives in heaven.

 Christians who have been born again by the Spirit of God are capable of standing with the holy God. But as many a people are experiencing the choice is not easy and never meant to be automatically done. It’s a waging war for each and every believer in Christ. The power of God is available and renders immediately its might and strength with only one condition, faith. When Abraham received the promise, he believed in the promise of God and acted on that basis as Hebrews tells, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8)

It’s continual choice between two divisions and no more, ether God or the world. When Jesus came into the world, He preached the good news, saying “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” Our Lord Jesus says, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:51) Jesus is the measuring rod whether anyone is His side or not. Those who accept and obey Him continually are Christ’s ones. They will be empowered, strengthened, and enlightened by the power of God as long as they obey and act on what they believe in Christ Jesus.

Those who know the words but don’t obey Jesus are not Christ’s until they repent and obey Him in perfection. Christ won the battle by means of His atoning death on the rugged cross in Calvary. So, we may win the victory over the powers of this dark world by means of death on the cross with Christ. The secret of victory doesn’t rely on our stern determination and willpower but on complete surrender in spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35) Which side are you? Which side am I now?