12
dead in the kingdom of
darkness
Text: Colossians 3:1-11
Memory verse: “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col.3:3)
Lesson
Today teaching is very important to every believer. This is because it will bring spiritual empowerment that will set you free forever and enable you to sniff at demons. It will give you boldness to stand before the enemy without an iota of fear.
You Are Dead
When you’re not born again, you are spiritually alive in the kingdom of spiritual darkness and death. Then you are a citizen of the kingdom of death and darkness. You had satan as your father, lord, king and head(Jn 8:44, Eph.2:2). It is either you were a slave or a worker then in the kingdom of darkness. A slave in satanic kingdom is just ordinary sinner and citizen of the kingdom while a worker in satanic kingdom is an agent of darkness working for satan in the kingdom of men such as witches, satanic priests, mediums, etc.
Whatsoever you might have been then, you were really a citizen and a child of the kingdom of darkness by birth. You were under the authority, dominion and bondage of darkness (col.1:13). You were without God in this world and hopeless (Eph.2:12).
In essence, you were a living being in the realms of spiritual darkness and death. But this changes at salvation. At salvation, when you confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you died spiritually in the kingdom of spiritual darkness and death where satan is lord, king and head. You ceased to be a living being, a citizen and a slave in the kingdom of spiritual darkness and death.
At salvation you lost your citizenship in the kingdom of death and darkness. Consequently, according to our memory verse, you are dead. You have passed from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. All that you ever were stopped being at salvation. You became identified with Christ on the cross, in His death, burial, resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God far above all realms of darkness. As a result, your life is hid with Christ in God.
You have become crucified with Christ nevertheless you are alive physically but Christ Jesus lives in you (Gal.2:20, Gal.3:27). Your spiritual translation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Christ was your process of death spiritually at salvation. When you died in the kingdom of darkness, you became alive in the kingdom of God( Rom.6:10-11). You became spiritually alive to the realms of God (Eph.2:1-6). You became a living being, a citizen and a son of God in the kingdom of God. Then you have come to mount Zion the city of the living God (Heb.12:22-24). Now you are a citizen of heaven on earth not of the world any more.
Conclusion
You are a dead man in the kingdom of darkness and death. You are no longer part of them or a subject of the kingdom. Hence, satan shouldn’t rule over you. Jesus Christ is the head, Lord and King of the kingdom you belong to now in the earth realms. He is ruling and reigning over you spiritually. Satan and powers of darkness do not have a say over your life and in the kingdom you belong except you give them room to rule over you.