Kingdoms in Conflict Confronting the Reality of Spiritual Warfare
Three Observations about Kingdoms in Conflict
(1) As there is a kingdom of God, so, too, is there is a kingdom of Satan. And the two are in conflict.
“If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?… But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Mt. 12:26, 28; see also Acts 26:18 [“the dominion of Satan”]; Col. 1:13 [“the domain of darkness”]).
(2) Few Christians fully realize the extent of Satan’s influence. Nor do they understand their own authority. Two texts in particular make both points clear.
a. 1 John 5:19—“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Observe the contrast. Whereas the “whole world” is in the evil one, we who are “of God” (v. 19) are in God and in his son, Jesus Christ (v. 20). The point is that everyone is in someone! “John wastes no words and blurs no issues. The uncompromising alternative is stated baldly. Everyone belongs either to ‘us’ or to the ‘world’. Everyone is therefore either ‘of God’ or ‘in the evil one’. There is no third category” (John Stott, 194).
This forever shatters the illusion of neutrality, the idea that so-called “good” people who are not Christians are neither for God nor for Satan, are neither in God’s kingdom nor in Satan’s. The fact is, all people, young and old, male and female, belong to one of two kingdoms: the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness. If one is not “in Christ” one is “in the power of the devil,” even if there is no visible, sensible awareness of being in the devil’s grip. Thus, not to serve God is to serve Satan whether one is conscious of it or not.
This is a stunning, shocking revelation. It takes one’s breath away when the implications of such an assertion are unpacked. Indeed, it is a frightening revelation that could easily instill fear and dread were it not for another assertion that John makes.
b. 1 John 4:4—“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
Christians are assured of victory over false prophets and heretics (theological victory—they have not succeeded in deceiving you; you know the truth and have rejected their lies). Why? How? Because “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world!”
Having contrasted Christians (“you”) with the heretics (“them”), he now compares the spiritual forces who are in the respective antagonists. Yes, Satan is great, but God is greater! Yes, Satan is powerful, but God is infinitely more powerful!
The “He” who is in the Christian = (1) God the Father (1 John 3:20; 4:12–13); (2) God the Son (1 John 2:14; 3:24); and (3) God the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27). John does not say “greater are you” but “greater is He”. It isn’t you, but God in you that brings the assurance of victory.
(3) People often respond to the call to spiritual arms in one of two ways: either with obsessive preoccupation (based on their focus on 1 John 5:19 to the neglect of 1 John 4:4) or with complacent indifference (based on their focus on 1 John 4:4 to the neglect of 1 John 5:19).
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves [i.e., the demons] are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight” (C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters, 3).
Storms, S. (2006). Spiritual Warfare. Oklahoma City, OK: Sam Storms.
