The Spoils of War

The Spoils of War
3/26/06
In Isaiah 53 we read about the suffering and victory of our Lord Jesus. In verse 10 - 12 it reads that “it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of Life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

As I read this I think “Wow, what a Savior” and “Wow, what a plan of God!” One thing stands out as puzzling though. Who are the “strong” that Jesus shares his spoils with? Clearly it seems he worked the victory Himself. I am reminded that Col 2:15 tells us that He made an open spectacle of the demons, and authority, and has given us authority over satan’s kingdom (vs 10). So then, in our weaknesses and failings, how do we become the “strong” that the Lord shares His victory with, and what are the “spoils”?

The verse that stands out as an illustration of sharing Jesus’ spoils is Eph 4:8 where we read that He rose from the dead and gave gifts to men. Verse 11 tells us those gifts were that he “gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” The purpose of those gifts is that this 5-fold ministry would “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (vs 12,13).

As we understand that the gifts, or spoils, have an intended purpose, the plan of God for His kingdom on earth matures us. We no longer see the gifts as something we can take or leave, but as God’s plan for our fullness of Christ, in ourselves and in His Church.

How do we move from seeing ourselves as weak to seeing His fullness and strength manifested in our lives? In Eph 6:10 we read “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” I believe this is the strength the Lord is looking for in us. Also, 1 Peter 5:10 we read that He makes us strong, steadfast, and firm in our faith in our battles.

It honors the Lord to see His image in us. And it dishonors Him to see that we have done nothing with what He has entrusted us with. In Joshua 18:3 the author asks “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land . . . the Lord has given you?” The reluctance of the remaining tribes to subdue their enemy caused the Lord to withdraw His help, as those tribes compromised with the Canaanites. They did not have spoils from war, but snares and thorns. They had been given time to obey the Lord, but it took war on their part to finish that obedience. Though we may not like to wrestle with evil, we can see from their example that our obedience has a purpose that reaches beyond our lives, effecting generations after us.

The children of Israel which did not eliminate their enemies from the land of their inheritance eventually prostituted themselves to the gods of their enemies. This causes me to wonder how we also might prostitute ourselves, or sell out to our enemy’s plans for our lives. I believe the answer comes by looking at what the spoils of war are; in part, they are the 5-fold ministry. If we consent to God’s plan, that it is good, we embrace it and implement it in our lives and churches. We value the ministries He has instituted and the gifts of the Spirit, and this brings honor to His name and maturity to His people, and unity. If we do not value His plan, we dishonor His name. The final disgrace is if we leave His gifts, which He fought for, unused. And this is where some of His churches are today, believing the lie that the 5-fold ministry is not necessary, and that the gifts of the Spirit are for a past time. We find that this also undermines the morale of God’s people, preventing maturity and preparation for the current battles our enemy wages against God’s church.

It is actually the plan of our enemy to render the church and each individual believer powerless against him. Because he was made an open spectacle through Jesus’ victory, he seeks to make Jesus an open spectacle through the powerlessness of His Body, the Church.

When we read the book of Revelation we see that our enemy meets a sure and total defeat. We also see that the “faithful” stand with Jesus in this war (Rev 17:14). I believe the gifts to the overcomers (Rev 2 & 3) are the spoils which enable them to stand for that battle. As His Body grows in His stature and the Maturity His gifts bring us, His purpose for our lives will become clearer.

Thank you for pressing in to Jesus in your lives and service, and God bless you this week in whatever is coming into your lives. Amen