Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Jesus Cropped from the Picture

create systems of greed, lust, and pride that oppress others and enslave themselves. God’s goodness is twisted into ugliness.

The flesh is the sin nature that prompts people to rebel against God and join the enemy. Anything evil or unpleasant, causing tears and dread, can find its source in the devil, the world, or the flesh .

Kingdom warfare is broader than engagement with sentient spiritual beings. Spiritual warfare is threefold: there are supernatural battles against the devil, social battles against the world’s brokenness, and personal battles against the flesh. 125 These three are the true antagonists against which Jesus’ followers are to fight. Suffering Jesus was cropped from the picture in part because his antagonists (devil, world, flesh) were cropped from it as well. Therefore, the de-cropping process involves putting evil and suffering back in the picture. The existence of the devil, world, and flesh makes it clear that the Kingdom is about conflict . Since Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3.8) and win back that which was lost (Luke 19.10), it is natural that Ed Murphy would say, “the normal Christian life is lived in the context of on-going spiritual warfare. To receive Christ is to enlist.” 126 W. Russell Maltby said, “Jesus promised His disciples three things: that they would be entirely fearless, absurdly happy, and that they would get into trouble.” 127

Since the Church is at war against the kingdom of this world, no one should be surprised by casualties (1 Pet. 4.12, 5.8-10). “As Jesus’

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