2024-08-27 A Meditation on Final Authority

“7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”” (Rev 12:7-12 ESV)

Neither the state nor the common citizen are always correct: Jesus was accused and sentenced to die. Jesus was victim of the mish-mash onslaught of Hatred for His technique. Hatred for His toolkit. Disbelief around His words.

The average soldier, too, is both scripturally called to serve all earthly masters (Rom 13:1ff), but also dares a bit of a behind-the-scenes encouragement: the gentle pleading, the life on life that is on display, the good will to all and the avoidance or principled stand against evil choices: these things are endearing and could lead to—in this wild and strange world—victory in a future war. It could mean all the world, and overcome even the obtuse or outright criminal leadership of said Cohort and Body. Bishops and kings, drill-sergeants and office heads, all these are plainly Human as well as motorized, driven, effective of something even if not always of good. All these are limited in their scope vis-a-vis evil intent, because life springs forth abundantly; some mysteries are not available, despite having an education—the evil person missed the relevant classes—despite working in tandem—the evil person is navel-gazing and inwardly turned—despite all hope and ambition being self-centered or banal. We hope, because of a more promising Vision, a more Distant Dream, a more Basic Belief.

And no, it also is no go-to fact that always good will win out, at least on the level of scrappy days, middling wars, average confrontations, commonplace contretemps. In these we have hope even though Christ Himself died; that the future final victory of the Faith is no small matter yet… we dare even today to allow that we are peace and weaned already on the doctrine of the Dying Day and the End of earthly ministry and the Ruin of composure and authority as attested to by angels. Earthly organization destroyed. Earthly and yes also spiritual headship mocked. All called into question, and is it because one day we will “win” that we have hope? It is that the mechanisms of Victory are seen already Today, the mechanisms of a personal battle given over to prayer, the mechanisms of a frustrating submission to ones less clever or capable than we feel ourselves to be, only a call to ingenious ruling in the midst of yes enemies. A calling that is, to testifying to Goodness even in the midst of those who scoff and mock it in passing. Their distraction is our office, our workplace, our Owned Situation: they have conceded this much, they shall also overlook the Final Victory of Christ for us, and we… we His people victorious with such prize as cannot be taken away.