No Fatal Wounds Possible

The Beginning of the End

When Rommel was finally defeated in North Africa, Winston Churchill uttered his memorable sentiment to the effect that  this was not the end.  Nor was it the beginning of the end.  It was perhaps the end of the beginning.

Christians operate in a similar, yet different frame of mind.  Human history is a war between two human races: those called the "seed of the woman", and those called the "seed of the serpent".  What divides these two seeds (or human races) is not their respective goodness, for "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  The "seed of the woman" are those who have repented of sin and have believed in Christ as their Saviour and Lord.

So, two human races.  Not distinguishable by race, ethnicity, intelligence, appearance, or in any other way, except that one race has sworn loyalty and devotion to Christ; the other has not, and in fact refused to do so, leaving their ultimate loyalty to man.

In the struggle between these two for the control of the world (for this is what is at stake) the seed of the woman, known as Christ-ones or Christians, often are in a minority, and face reverses on every side.  But the Head of the new redeemed human race is the Resurrected One, and out of death comes life.  It is His way.  But there is something else.  The decisive battle has already been won.  Christ faced Satan at Calvary and defeated him--once, and for all time.  The god of this world had been cast down and broken.


At the Cross, it was not "the end".  But, unlike Churchill's reference, it was the beginning of the end.  It may be of interest to debate whether there was a prior event in redemptive history that constituted the "end of the beginning".  For our money, we would suggest the Exodus, when God brought His people out of slavery into the land of promise, was the end of the beginning.  But Israel, despite moments of great courage and fidelity, was doomed to apostasy and idolatry.  But increasingly throughout this history of defalcation, the prophets began to focus upon the One Who would come forth to save not just Israel, but all the peoples of the earth.

His coming forth was the beginning of the end: the decisive battle was at Calvary.  His resurrection from the dead changed everything.  The Evil One had fallen from the heavens like lightning.

Whilst there will be many setbacks, none of these represent permanent or fatal wounds. The earth will be filled with the knowledge and glory of God, as the waters cover the sea.