3. The Identity of the Victory
Hugh Martin
The victory, with its reward and its refreshings, is the same – its ultimate reward and its immediate refreshings. The identity of the reward is clearly shown: “Ye are they that have continued with Me in my temptations; and I appoint unto you a kingdom as My Father hath appointed unto Me”. And how specific and exact is the reversal of the picture, when you contrast the conflict and the prize! Take the first and the last stages of the battle, and the first and last portions of the conqueror’s reward – as these are ranged, for instance, in the series of promises to “him that overcometh” set forth in the seven epistles to the Churches – and notice the beautiful antithesis between the first of each, and between the last of each.
1 This is a final, slightly-edited extract, in this series aimed specially at believers, from The Abiding Presence, continued from the September issue. Crucial to this discussion is Martin’s view of Christ’s baptism as “a sign and seal of His engrafting of the Church unto Himself and communicating to her the benefits of the new covenant and His engagement to be hers”. In previous articles in the series, the author has demonstrated the correspondence (1) between Satan’s assault on Christ’s Sonship and his assault on the believer’s sonship and (2) between Christ’s defence against this assault and the believer’s defence.
First you have, not as Adam, a plenteous, peaceful Eden, but the wilderness and dire necessity there. Such is the opening scene in the temptation. Mark its exact reversal in the beginning of the triumph. “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev 2:7). And as to the closing scene, you have an offer from Satan of royal gifts (kingdoms and glory) to be held in allegiance to him. Such is his final effort to destroy you. Mark the exact adaptation of the closing promise of reward. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father on His throne” (Rev 3:21).
But who shall speak of the glory to be revealed? Rather let us consider the refreshings that may be obtained in the meantime. These are twofold: an increase of comfort and an increase of usefulness. And they may be seen identically both in Christ and in His people.
Firstly, the successful conflict is followed by an increase of comfort.
“The devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matt 4:11) – a double consolation.
(1) The devil leaves Him. A breathing time is graciously granted Him. The strain of the hot encounter is relaxed for a time. It is only for a season indeed; the prince of this world will come again. Still, even as an interval – as a respite or reprieve – it is valuable. The weary soldier has time to breathe freely; time to refresh his weary spirit; time to re-arrange his garment and his armour, not being ignorant of the fray. This is the experience of the Captain of salvation and of His soldiers too – especially the more tried and intelligent of their number; I mean, spiritually and experimentally intelligent in the Christian warfare. They know that special times of hot conflict are assigned them, as if he said, “God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him: for there is none to deliver him” (Ps 71:11) – times when they cannot but exclaim with David, “Lord, how are they increased that trouble me”; the enemy hath “thrust sore at me, that I might fall” (Ps 3:1, 118:13).
But let them retreat into the camp of the King – into the fellowship and company of their Captain – who is their shield and their glory and the lifter up of their head, who also is their strength and their song and their salvation (Ps 3:3, 118:14). Let them, by His Word and Spirit, stand forth in Him, strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. They know that after such fierce trials – identified, by faith, with Christ’s temptations, continued in and faithfully fought in Christ’s fellowship – a time of special, manifest relief is given them. The devil is compelled to leave them for a season. The Lord commands a calm. The Lord gives His beloved sleep.
(2) But it is not merely a negative relief. A positive refreshing is provided. “Angels came and ministered unto Him.” Such was the privilege of the First-born among many brethren. The brethren are joint-heirs with Christ in all things. And are not all the angels “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation”? (Heb 1:14).
Ah, who knows how greatly the blessed calm and the sweet refreshings that succeed a time of sore trial – well and bravely met in the Word and Spirit of the Lord – may be due to the ministry of angels? May not they be commissioned of the Father to spread a table for you in the presence of your baffled enemies, to anoint your head with oil – to fill your cup to overflowing – and, indeed, to keep your foot from being dashed against a stone (while you do not for that reason tempt the Lord your God)? You would not think your Father’s hand to be less truly or less sweetly in the consolation, because He wielded in it the instrumentality of angels. Jesus doubtless did not think so when the angels strengthened Him. Nor will you. Neither will you put your trust in angels, but in the Lord alone. “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Ps 34:7,8).
Such is the increase of comfort. Evil angels retire. And the blessed principalities of light hover round – as if to congratulate and to cheer you. Assuredly they come to strengthen you.
Secondly, there is also an increase of usefulness.
This is very strikingly illustrated: “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all” (Luke 4:14,15).
Again it is in the Spirit that Jesus is strong – “in the power of the Spirit”. And clearly the Spirit rests upon Him, not more abundantly (for the Father from the first did not give the Spirit to Him by measure) but as operating, according to His good pleasure, with additional rewarding power and approbation on the Man that had foiled the foe. And so, in the power of the Spirit, it is clearly with the tramp of a conqueror’s footfall that Jesus returns from the wilderness to Galilee. Nor is the tone of His teaching destitute of traces of His victory. He is glorified of all in their synagogues. Nor can the people comprehend what firm voice of power and wisdom is this. And His fame goes forth throughout the land.
What a prospect this holds out to those who have communion with their Lord in the office of instructing others! To such, successfully-endured temptation will prove the occasion of fresh acquisitions of power, imparting a tone of superhuman independence to the ministry which they have received of the Lord to fulfil it (Col 4:17). But whatever your ministry or service or appointed labours may be, you cannot in any conflict abide in your living Head and come off a conqueror without being warranted most fully to expect, in your experience, even as in His, an increase of strength and usefulness. For your confidence in the Word and Spirit will be increased. You will live by the Word (Matt 4:4) a life of greater energy. You will depend on the Spirit for larger measures of strength. The Word will dwell in you more richly. And the power of the Spirit will rest on you more abundantly.
Therefore, if after a well-fought battle, the devil, for a time, leaves you; and if angels, as it were (or rather, as it really is, for so has the Father said) come and minister to you, if the Lord grants a breathing time and a banqueting time too, do not dwell too long upon it. Do not drain your well-filled cup. Up again, refreshed for duty! Up to your ministry once more, whatever that ministry may be. Come out from your wilderness-temptations, from your secret chamber of grief, from your secret banquet-room of joy – back into Galilee again, back again to the scene of your labours. And come “in the power of the Spirit”.
It will be so. You will thus return – if you have shared the assault, the defence, the victory and the refreshings, of your Lord’s very conflict; if you have experienced His presence in the battle, as here in the Gospel history. For then He returns with you from the field – still as in this Gospel history – just as He returned into Galilee. Yes, He returns with you. For, lo, He is present with you still. Lo, He is with you alway. His presence shall go with you, and He will give you rest” (Ex 33:14).