The Conquest of Christ

"Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." (Psalm 68:18,19)

He hath destroyed the enemy that He may load us with benefits. He led captivity captive. The evil one came and took mankind captive. Jesus Christ came and took the armies of the evil one captive. He took captivity captive. There is no fear to those who look up to Jesus. Once David's wives and the wives of his followers were carried away captive while he was away. When David returned, he prayed to God and rescued the captive women and destroyed the captors. Once enemies carried away all the goods of the king of Sodom and they took Lot, Abraham's nephew as captive. Abraham went and delivered Lot and brought back all that they had carried away. The king of Sodom was very grateful and offered Abraham much gold but he said, 'I have lifted mine hand unto the Lord, I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abraham rich.' Jesus Christ came and took captivity captive. Think of Lot, how happy he would have been when he saw his uncle coming to deliver him. When Jesus Christ came He took captivity captive. Our enemies are defeated. There must be a sense of conquest in us. The final conqueror was Abraham - not Lot's captors. Just think of how the wives of David's men would have run to their husbands who freed them. We have not yet realized the victory we have got. We feel we will fall into temptations. Oh we fear so much that we will fall. No! That is wrong. In the last war when Japan surrendered, the Japanese did not break the news of their defeat to their prisoners of war. They were still given only a slice of bread every day as before. But when their planes came and dropped food to them, they got news of the victory.

Captivity is taken captive! The prince of this world who had taken us prisoners is now taken prisoner. A sense of mastery over human nature must be in us. Jesus conquered and so we will conquer too. He will infuse into us the same victory as we look to the Cross - the same spiritual victory. He loaded us with benefits. What are these benefits? - not the things of this world! They are nothing to a spiritual man. They are Christ-likeness, Christ-like nature and Christ-like hope.