Kingdoms at War

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, 
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

Christmas is a story of kingdoms at war—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self. That battle still rages on the turf of your heart today, fighting for control of your soul. There will never be a truce, and no demilitarized zone exists in any area of life.

These two kingdoms cannot live in peace with one another. Each kingdom demands your loyalty and your worship. Both kingdoms promise you life, but only one can deliver. One leads you to the King of kings, while the other sets you up as (very temporary) king.

Jesus came to earth as a king to dethrone all other rulers and set up his grace-infused, life-giving reign in our hearts. He came to free us from our bondage to our self-serving kingdom purposes and invite us to an eternal kingdom.

Remind yourself this Christmas that there is a King, but it is not you. Tell yourself that there’s a kingdom that will protect and satisfy your heart, but it is not yours.

Remind yourself this Christmas that the kingdom of God is gorgeous from every perspective, but it doesn’t always look that way to our sin-glazed eyes. The little kingdom of self can be deceptive and dark and, at times, appears beautiful and life-giving.

Remind yourself this Christmas that you have been given the most amazing gift—a Kingdom. The price of that gift was the suffering and death of the King. By grace, he conquered death to establish his rule in your heart.

Today, he reigns on your behalf and will continue to do so until the last enemy of your soul and his kingdom has been defeated. Then he will invite you into the final kingdom, where peace and righteousness will reign forever and ever.

This is the narrative of Christmas.

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Above is excerpted/adapted from a devotional by Paul Tripp.