A Siege of Heaven

What does it mean to abide in Christ? You might have heard that phrase before in church.

I wonder how many of us are confused by that phrase? Honestly, I was confused by it for a long time for long time. From the way people described it, I always figured that when you were “abiding in Jesus” you walked around with this ethereal glow in your eyes and had learned some secrets from a Bruce Wilkinson book that the rest of us just didn’t know.

But I think the word abide is far simpler than that. The Greek word “meno” means literally “to remain” or to “make your home in.”

So what does it look like to “make your home in” Christ?

Perhaps we could think of some some nesting analogies. Maybe we could uncover some spiritual shiplap and discover the beauty of Christ that we never knew was there. Maybe that French Country dining table with bench is the feast in the House of Zion we have been craving. Can you tell what shows we watch at my house?

I want to take a different way though. I think this is exegetically ok by the way. If it isn’t, let me know. But I think it is.

What if we saw abiding as siege warfare? Hear me out.

Siege warfare is characterized by a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by a constant, low-intensity conflict or a well-prepared assault. Thanks Wikipedia! In ancient times, and even in not so ancient times, invading armies that came across a city that was protected with defenses like walls or bodies of water, would remain in siege positions for months and even years at a time. In a sense, the hopeful conquerers would “make their home” around the city as they awaited victory.

I’m not alone in thinking like this by the way. Check out this snippet from a sermon by Charles Spurgeon where he compares praying God’s promises to siege warfare.

There is no pleading with God like reminding Him of His Covenant. Get ahold of a promise of God, and you may pray with great boldness, for the Lord will not run back from His own Word. If I may compare a single promise to one great gun in the heavenly siege train, then the covenant may be likened to a whole park of artillery; with that you may besiege heaven and come off a conquerer.” -Charles Spurgeon

Besiege heaven and come off a conquerer.

I mean, come on. This isn’t some heterodox prosperity preacher peddling some idolatrous scheme on how to get what you want from God. This is Charles Spurgeon. This is the same preacher who reminded us that God is not the God of the hills only, but of the valleys as well. Nobody gets you fired up like the Prince of Preachers.

What if you saw your prayers as a siege of heaven? This isn’t without biblical precedence either. Getting ahold of a promise God has made and not relenting go until He answers is something that God’s people have done in times of crisis and sadness throughout the pages of the Bible from Moses to David to Paul.

Where are you struggling right now?

Where are you feeling pressure in your life?

Take a look at these promises that God has given us in His Word. Get ahold of one this week and abide in Christ, besieging heaven with it until God answers!

30 Promises in the New Testament.

1. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

2. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die (John 11:25-26).

3. Since we have been united with Christ in his death, we will also be united with him in his resurrection; thus we can count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:5-11).

4. In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, which is to be conformed to the likeness of his Son (Romans 8:28-29).

5. The things that God has prepared for those who love him are beyond human comprehension and imagination (1 Corinthians 2:9).

6. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

7. God made Christ who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

8. We have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

9. God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).

10. He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

11. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).

12. God will meet all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

13. As God’s chosen people, we are holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12).

14. God will ultimately reward all believers who suffer for the sake of the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

15. God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).

16. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

17. The Lord will rescue us from every evil attack and will bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18).

18. Because Christ himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18).

19. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

20. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

21. When we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7).

22. When we come near to God, he will come near to us (James 4:8).

23. We have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood (1 Peter 1:2).

24. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

25. We can cast all our anxiety on God because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

26. We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13).

27. If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2).

28. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

29. “This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

30. “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).