The victory in which we walk is the victory of Christ, won at the cross. Do not think of the cross merely as an instrument of His torture and humiliation, but as the area of conflict where the victory of the Lord was wrought.
But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all. I Corinthians 15:20–28.
The application of Christ’s victory is a process: Christ must reign until every enemy is made His footstool; and finally when He has abolished all authority and rule, all principalities and powers, and everything is completely under Him, then He will deliver the Kingdom up to the Father. The Father put all things under Him in authority, and He reigned until He completely subjected everything to Himself.
The cross is an instrument of Christ’s victory and of His authority and rule over the hearts of men. There are many areas in which the cross becomes an instrument of victory; at this point, though, we won’t consider the foes on the outside, but rather the enemies of Christ among those who walk as believers.
Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample. For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself, Philippians 3:17–21.
He must reign until everything is made subject to Him. A manifestation of His power will reach its peak when He fashions our bodies like unto His glorious body. It is that power working now whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself, but many do not submit to this. Paul said, “Many walk who are enemies of the cross.” Today we could paraphrase it, “Many in this move are walking as though they were in accord with God but they are actually enemies of the cross.” Why? Because they have not accepted it as the instrument by which Christ won the victory, and they are not bringing the foes within their own nature under the dealings of the Lord. Although they pray, “Thy Kingdom come; deal with Babylon, deal with the antichrist, deal with principalities and powers,” they are not saying, “Lord, deal with the foes within: the things within me which do not submit to the cross of Jesus Christ.” Because these people are not submitting to the work of the cross within, they are opposing the ultimate victory.
How can we be instruments of the Lord’s ultimate victory if anything within us is warring against the cross and the processes of grace that operate through it? The victory was won by Christ on His cross; Colossians 2:15 tells us that He made an open show of principalities and powers, triumphing over them in His cross. What a beautiful thing He did! We must submit to that cross.
God has no greater enemy—not even Satan—than the carnal mind. The carnal mind is enmity against God; it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:7, KJV. Satan is the enemy of God, but he is also His unwilling servant. God uses the devil. All the raging of Satan is accomplishing God’s ultimate purpose, but your carnal mind is not. It is hatred against the law of God; it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. I place it as a force of greater hostility than Satan himself. God will ultimately destroy Satan—He has already defeated him, but He is trying to work out His marvelous plan in you, and your carnal mind hinders it. God will not go against you: there must be a willingness on your part to submit to Him. Satan doesn’t matter; he is going to be destroyed anyway, but your carnal mind can stop the process of grace and make you an enemy of the cross of Christ.
“Many walk,” Paul said, “I’ve told you often and now tell you even weeping, who are enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is perdition. They have certain characteristics: their god is the belly, their glory is in their shame, and they mind earthly things.” We are too sympathetic with the old nature. We haven’t come to hate it yet and understand it as God’s enemy. We haven’t come to see its deadliness in standing against Christ.
“Their god is the belly.” That is the idolatry the world follows—they literally worship and serve their carnal appetite. The world is doing that, but many believers are also falling into the trap. Paul said, “I bring my body into subjection, lest after having preached to others I myself should be a castaway” I Corinthians 9:27. Could a minister preaching to others become a castaway? Yes. Paul could not bring the fleshly nature under subjection because he had not reached in to experience that particular process of redemption, where those forces were at an end in his life.
You are redeemed, but you still dwell in a mortal body; you can still catch cold and die. Yet God has given you this body to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, by whom you are sealed as an earnest of the inheritance to come (Ephesians 1:13, 14). God planned eternal life for your body, but it is the last part of the triune nature of man to possess its inheritance. First your spirit comes into eternal life; then your soul comes into the real benefits and experiences of redemption, but the body lags behind. The carnal mind remains the one thing which can rise up and defeat the plan of God. We can’t give way to foes within our old nature—moods and dispositions, temper, the lust of the flesh. They must be brought to the cross.
Christ’s victory on the cross is not some mystical hocus-pocus. Not only do you identify yourself with the cross, but you must also experience it. Be prepared; you will die or you will become an enemy of the cross of Christ. Jesus said, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24. There is only one reason to take up the cross—you fully intend to die on it. And as you walk with the Lord, make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. As you walk in the Spirit, Christ’s cross and the victory He won on it will become a real, living experience.
The time has come that judgment must begin from the house of the Lord (I Peter 4:17). Christ’s victory must be manifested in a people who willingly submit first to the victory of His cross being worked within them. We talk about the manifestation of the sons of God—how they will bring all nature in subjection to the Lord and loose it from the bondage within—but first we must be loosed from the bondage and futility upon our nature. How can we manifest Christ’s victory to His creation until we have submitted to it in our own hearts? Take up your cross and follow Him.
The enemies of the cross are those whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame … The human nature tends to be sympathetic to carnality. Are you tolerant toward evil? Instead of absolutely abhorring it, do you think of it in terms short of revulsion, absolute hatred, utter despisement? You must know that whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.… All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. I John 5:4; 2:16, 17, KJV. Other enemies of the cross are those who mind earthly things. Think: are you guilty of that? Do you meditate on the Lord? Do you wait on the Lord? Are you too busy? You are, to the extent that you mind earthly things. Change that!
Lord, bless the word to our hearts. Let us draw deeply from it and be strengthened by it. Let us think concerning the seriousness of this word. It is so foundational to the victories that must be won. Those who fail are the ones who think they love You, but they also love the world and the flesh—and they pamper it, excuse it, and are tolerant of it; they pet and hide it. They become enemies of the cross and fall by the wayside. For the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but those who have walked on with Thee, Lord, have embraced Your cross with joy, and have said, “Let there be and end to the reign of flesh; let Christ be Lord indeed let the victory of His cross prevail over everything within me.”
If we forget this word, that is according to the flesh, too. Lord, help us to bring these things out and ask you to deal with them and expose them to the cross. Believe the Lord; He will meet it.