Revelation 20:9-10
It’s almost anticlimactic, isn’t it? After all the buildup in Revelation 20, the armies of evil march across the earth for one final showdown against God’s people. They surround the “beloved city,” ready for battle, and then, in an instant, fire falls from heaven. The enemy is consumed, the devil is thrown into the lake of fire, and the rebellion is over before it ever really begins (Rev. 20:9-10).
That’s the power of the bridegroom, warrior-king, Jesus. He doesn’t struggle to win; he speaks, and victory is secured. It’s the ultimate answer to the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) In that moment, heaven’s rule will fully and finally wipe out all counterfeit and competing “kingdoms.” Evil will be restrained, justice will roll like a river, and peace will reign.
But what about now? We live in the in-between; after the cross but before the crown, we live in the kingdom of light, but the kingdom of darkness still rages. To borrow an image from modern history, it’s like living when the Berlin Wall still stood. There are boundaries and tensions, and every day we choose which side to live on. Will we live by the values of the kingdom of self, or will we live under the gracious rule of King Jesus?
One day, the devil will be bound forever, but until that day, you and I are not powerless. Scripture reminds us we can “resist him, firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). We do this not with our own strength, but with the armor of God, which includes truth, righteousness, faith, and the Word of God, protecting and guiding us.
One day, saints will reign with Jesus in glory, but today we already carry the dignity of that calling. Peter says we are “a royal priesthood,” (1 Peter 2:9) people meant to proclaim the goodness of the King wherever we go. And though the final judgment has not yet come, we can live as people of integrity, knowing Jesus will right every wrong and avenge every injustice.
One day, the deceiver will be unleashed, and the true condition of every heart will be exposed, but today, Jesus calls us to examine our own hearts and invite His kingdom to rule there first. The battle may not be over, but the victory has already been secured, and we are invited to live as if it has.
So as we wait for the day when Christ’s victory fills the earth, we live as people of the coming kingdom right now. May every wall within us, every trace of pride, fear, or compromise, come down. And may His kingdom come fully in us, as it one day will on earth.
Pastor Ryan Paulson