I know the very thought Jesus is growing His kingdom on earth through us is unimaginable.  I mean, the world can seem so out of control and so far away from God, and we can feel very insignificant. But don’t be fooled! Remember, things are not always as they seem.

I love the picture the apostle Paul paints of Jesus in Ephesians 4.  Let me set this picture up before I read it:

In ancient times, when conquerors rode into Rome after a great conquest, throngs of people would gather to greet them.  Normally, the parade would start with the treasures of war, taken from the enemy.  Next would be the prisoners of war, paraded before the people.  Third, the conqueror would appear in a chariot drawn by four horses, and behind him would march his army.  After the march, pagan conquerors would offer a sacrifice to the gods and days of feasting and partying would begin.

Now let’s turn to Ephesians 4:7-8 and read Paul’s word picture: But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.  This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” Do you see it?  Paul is using the word picture of a conqueror riding into the city.  The word used for “grace” in vs. 7 is “gifts”. When Jesus conquered Satan on the cross and defeated death by exiting the tomb He gave us the opportunity to redeem portions of our lives that had been used by Satan and repurpose them for the kingdom of God.  Not only this, but Jesus is always giving people in His kingdom special gifts to use to expand His kingdom on earth.

This is why we don’t need to worry about our ability to overcome some of the strongholds Satan tries to establish in our lives.  We serve the King of Kings, and He will give us what we need to be victorious, if we let Him.