Entering a New Kingdom: Understanding God’s Reign in the Believer’s Life

Introduction

“The moment you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says ‘All Things become new.’” Throughout Scripture, we find 30 distinct transformations that occur at the moment of salvation. This document explores the seventh of these transformations: entering into a new kingdom.

The Kingdom of God: A Central Theme

Throughout the Gospels and the book of Acts, the kingdom of God emerges as a central emphasis of Jesus’ ministry and the early church’s message. This wasn’t a secondary teaching but the very focus of Christ’s proclamation: “The kingdom of God is here.”

Christ’s Mission Against the Kingdom of Darkness

Confronting the Enemy

Jesus came not merely to preach but to directly confront and defeat Satan, who had established dominion over the earth. Scripture describes Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31) who held people captive through sin and death.

Christ’s mission was not to negotiate with the enemy but to conquer him. This confrontation began immediately after His baptism:

1. The Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days (Matthew 4:1-11)
2. Jesus actively engaged the enemy rather than waiting for the enemy to find Him
3. Throughout the forty-day period, Jesus faced continuous temptation, with the three recorded temptations representing particularly significant challenges

Jesus emerged victorious from this encounter, commanding Satan to depart. Later, on the night of His betrayal, Jesus declared: “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14:30). There was no foothold for Satan in Christ because sin is the entry point for the enemy, and Jesus was sinless.

Assaulting the Kingdom of Darkness

Jesus described His mission in terms of spiritual warfare:

• Binding the strong man and plundering his house (Matthew 12:29)
• Destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8)
• Plundering hell to populate heaven (as Reinhard Bonnke often stated)

This warfare took several forms:

1. Salvation from sin: When people believed in Christ and asked for forgiveness, they were cleansed, freed, and brought into relationship with God.
2. Deliverance from demonic oppression: Jesus cast out demons, freeing people from spiritual bondage.
3. Healing of sickness and disease: Christ came to break the power of sickness, which often stemmed from sin, Satan, or both. By healing the sick, Jesus demonstrated the kingdom’s power over the enemy’s works.

The Kingdom Message

Jesus’ Commission to His Disciples

Jesus didn’t keep the kingdom ministry to Himself but commissioned His disciples to continue it:

Matthew 10 and Luke 9-10

Jesus anointed the twelve disciples and later seventy others, instructing them to:

• Preach that the kingdom of God is at hand
• Heal the sick
• Cleanse lepers
• Raise the dead
• Cast out demons

He gave them power and authority to carry out these very actions, demonstrating that the kingdom message wasn’t merely theoretical but accompanied by practical demonstrations of God’s reign overcoming Satan’s influence.

The Early Church’s Continuation

This kingdom message continued throughout the early church:

• The book of Acts repeatedly mentions the apostles “preaching the kingdom of God”
• The final description of Paul in Acts shows him in Rome “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:31)

The kingdom message represented the reality that God’s power was present and available to save, heal, deliver, and transform lives.

Transfer of Citizenship

Colossians 1:13

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

This verse describes the fundamental reality of salvation: believers have been rescued from Satan’s domain and transferred to Christ’s kingdom. This is not a future event but a present reality—we now belong to a new kingdom with a new King.

Our Role in the Kingdom

As citizens of God’s kingdom, believers have responsibilities:

1. Proclaim the kingdom: Declare that the kingdom of God is at hand and available to all who would receive it.
2. Demonstrate the kingdom: Through prayer for healing, deliverance, and restoration, show the practical effects of God’s reign.
3. Expand the kingdom: Fulfill the Great Commission to “go into all the world teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20), which includes the commission to preach the kingdom and heal the sick.
4. Engage in spiritual warfare: Scripture portrays believers as an army of God engaged in a “good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). We are called to stand in God’s authority and actively participate in advancing His kingdom.

Conclusion

We enter a new kingdom with a new King when we accept Christ. This isn’t merely a change in theological status but a transfer of allegiance and citizenship with profound practical implications. We are now called to live as kingdom citizens, representing our King and extending His reign through proclamation and demonstration of His power to save, heal, and deliver.

The kingdom message remains as relevant today as it was in the first century—that God’s rule and power are available here and now to transform lives and overcome the works of darkness.