Thy Kingdom Come: the army of heaven on earth
By Elvira Bujanda
God in His infinite wisdom made the heavens above and the earth below. He created Adam and Eve, formed in His image and likeness, to dwell in the Paradise He created on earth: the Garden of Eden.
As long as they obeyed His commands, Adam and Eve experienced the fullness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as God came down to walk with them in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).
But 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be sober minded; be watchful, for your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” That adversary tempted them, and their sin of disobedience separated them from their holy God.
They were evicted from Paradise to live in a sinful, chaotic world. But God the Father, the Source of perfect love, looked down from heaven in His loving mercy and sent His Son Jesus to rescue the world from the evil reign of Satan.
John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.” God's love gift was eternal life through Jesus, the perfect Man who went to the cross for the sins of the world and through it conquered the power of death.
As the disciples followed Jesus, they would often find Him in prayer to His heavenly Father, seeking guidance on how to live His life on earth. They asked Him to teach them how to pray, and He answered in Matthew 6:9-13 with the Lord's Prayer, a pattern for building a lifestyle of faith, trust, and intimacy with God day by day as we are drawn into His presence.
It's been said that the Lord's Prayer is more about how to live than how to pray – yet these two elements go together. Prayer is the most potent weapon in our spiritual battle against Satan’s attacks that seek to remove us from God’s love and steal our eternal destiny in heaven. Through it we humble ourselves under His wonderful hand and ask for His involvement in our lives.
Jesus told His disciples, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
To live a life of faith requires courage. But what is courage? The dictionary defines courage as not being deterred by danger or pain; it is bravery and resolve.
Prayer gives us rest as we put our circumstances in the hands of God. It brings peace on life’s battlefield.
God’s love demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gave us heaven’s pattern for victory over sin and evil. He calls us to advance that victory as His army in the earth, bringing His kingdom to reign, praying: “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
The Bible describes the greatness and glory and righteousness of the Kingdom of God. What does that look like as it is brought to earth? We find this small glimpse in Psalm 145:5-13:
“Your awe inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim Your greatness. Everyone will share the story of Your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy of Your righteousness. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, full of unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone; He showers compassion on all of His creation. All of Your works will thank You Lord, and Your faithful followers will bless You. They will talk together about the glory of Your Kingdom; they will tell about Your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of Your reign. For Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom; You rule generation after generation. The Lord is faithful in all He says; He is gracious in all He does.”
Clearly, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth can’t be accomplished through our own strength, but as we lean on the Lord, He will use us for His glory… “for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen” (Matthew 6:13).
Psalm 62:6 says, “Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress. I will not be shaken.” Jesus paid the price for us with His precious blood. That means we are the children of the Most High God.
As His purpose burns deep within our soul and we respond to His calling, we surrender to His leadership in our lives and He supplies the strength to overcome every obstacle for His glory.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
In John 14:16-18 Jesus tells His disciples, “I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth,” and in Acts 1:8, He reminds them to wait for that promise, “for you will receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit’s power is what enables His army to bring His kingdom of love and peace into the world, one life at a time, and to knit those lives together as His family.
Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace, and be thankful.”
We are to seek first the Kingdom of God and pray, “Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.” Forgiveness dismantles bitterness.
Hebrews 15:12 says, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” and Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
Unity in Christ is vital to the success of His army, as it says in Colossians 2:2-3, “That they may be encouraged in heart and mind and united in love, so that they might have the full riches of complete understanding; that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
We must have a united front, as well as courage, if we are to stand against Satan’s assaults against God's truth and his intentions to derail our life into sin.
We are empowered with strength and protection from the flaming arrows of evil. There is hope that anchors the soul, and it is found in our spiritual armor, detailed in Ephesians 6:13-18:
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
As we put on our armor, praying with faith and trust in God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, we will be able to stand as His courageous army to extend His kingdom in the earth.
Jesus said to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” God will test us as He did His Son (Matthew 4), and as Jesus told the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
As we stay in God’s Word, we will remember His marching orders. He promised never to leave us and we must be sure that we never leave Him.
As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; Test yourselves, do not realize that Christ Jesus is in you?”
Our self-centered will can keep us from victory over sin. By walking in obedience to God’s Word through Christ Jesus we are made free from sin, and this requires faith and prayer.
The more we pray, the more we find our peace and strength in Him, as it says in Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in all things with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
So begin your days with a grateful and thankful heart and with prayer for the gift of life. Disconnect for a time set aside to seek God and align your life with His divine heavenly plan.
In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Thanks be to God that He always gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).
