We have seen the work of the Lord as well as the kingdom and the evil intention of Satan. Now we come to the position and responsibility of the church. In the eyes of God the church occupies a very important place. Its position is that of being joined to Christ, and its responsibility is to continue the warfare that Christ fought on earth. Christ the Head has ascended, but His Body is still on earth. The church, as the Body of Christ, is His propagation, continuing His stand and work to fight against God’s enemy.
Ephesians 1:20-23 shows us that the power which operated in Christ not only raised Him from the dead, but caused Him to ascend to the heavens. This resurrection power is the power of ascension. Through His resurrection the church received its life, and through His ascension the church assumed its position of authority and inherited the kingdom. In this way, He brought heaven to earth, and His will can be done on earth, as in the heavens. Christ ascended to the heavens and received the heavenly authority; now He is able to bring heaven to earth. Resurrection alone is not enough; there must also be ascension. When we stand in the heavenly position, we transcend all things. When the Lord ascended to the heavens, He transcended all the powers of the enemy, and God subjected all things under His feet. (Of course, this is not fully manifested at the present time.)
Christ ascended and became “Head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:22). Verse 23 clearly shows that the church and Christ are inseparable. The church is filled with Christ; it is the fullness of Christ, the overflow of Christ. God’s desire is to gain a corporate man. The church, which is formed of individual saints who are put into Christ, is the corporate Christ; it is the combination of all the small portions of Christ in the saints. As the Body of Christ, the church is the continuation of Christ. Everything that belongs to Christ belongs to the church. The position that Christ attained is the position that the church has attained. The works that Christ accomplished are sustained and perpetuated through the church.
The cross of Christ produced the church, and the church brings in the kingdom. Hence, the church stands between the cross and the kingdom. The present age is the time for the church to practically realize the victory of Christ. The Head has overcome; now the Body must also overcome. The Lord destroyed the devil on the cross and produced the church with resurrection life. Today God is establishing His kingdom on earth through His church. The church must continue the victorious work that Christ has carried out against Satan. It is responsible for bringing heaven’s will down to earth and for carrying it out on earth.
In John 12—16 Satan is spoken of as the ruler of this world three times (12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Presently, he is the ruler of this world, and the nations of this world are his domain. In the millennium, he will be bound and cast into the abyss. Before that time, the church is on the earth to curb the activities of Satan. The prayer of the church is the most effective means of curbing Satan. The church is a miniature of the kingdom. Any place that manifests God’s authority is a place where the kingdom is realized (Matt. 12:28). It is our responsibility to put a halt to Satan’s will. Wherever the church is, Satan’s authority will retreat. The church is on the earth to perpetuate and manifest Christ’s victorious stand over Satan.