“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36)
When heaven’s throne was under attack, the angels of the Lord fought against Lucifer’s rebel angels. At the conclusion of this battle, the Word saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven to earth. (Luke 10:18) But when the Word became flesh, heaven’s hosts would not be summoned to do battle with the dark powers of this world to spare their Lord from evil hands.
Christ didn’t come into the world to establish Himself as a political ruler, He came to usher the rule of God into the hearts of men. This great victory could only be accomplished through what appeared as His greatest defeat. Twelve ready legions of angels dared not come to His rescue. Not the Lion, but the Lamb of God, was to take away the sin of the world.
Those who have been made citizens of the kingdom of heaven, through the blood of the Lamb, are to have the same mind as their Master. “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (1 Pet. 4:1). “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” (Heb. 13:14)
Those of the world fight for supremacy and control of this world. They rally their troops and rush them into battle for the sake of their temporal cause. But their causes and their names will perish from the earth. Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away; but the war won on the cross has guaranteed that the name and reign of Jesus Christ will endure forever. In God’s book, losing is winning.