God’s Eternal Purpose Being Realized through the Local Churches

Through Which Satan Will Be Defeated

In following passage, Witness Lee comments on the way in which God will shame and defeat His enemy through the local churches. The great commission entrusted to the church to express and represent God on earth is being recovered in the local churches today.

If we look at Noah’s life, we shall see that it was not simply a matter of walking with God or of building the ark. The basic and crucial point is that God used Noah to change the age. The enemy had driven the situation to the bottom, and even God repented that He had made man. There seemed to be no hope. But Noah found grace. Noah’s life was a life that changed the age.

Look at the situation today. If you read the Gospels and if you see God’s purpose for the church, you will realize that the church has such a high commission. The church was produced with God’s life to express Him in this New Testament age. The church has been entrusted with such a glorious commission. There is no need for us to look into the past. The present situation is sufficient to show us how much the church has fallen and deviated from God’s proper goal. But do not be disappointed. Though Satan has done his best, God still has a way to carry out His original purpose. Among all the defeats, God today has raised up local churches to change the age.

(Witness Lee, LS of Genesis, 389)

Witness Lee speaks of the believers’ experience of dealing with Satan by experiencing the saving life of Christ in the local church:

We are saved in the life of Christ from the aerial power of darkness, by destroying Satan (Rom. 16:20; Eph. 6:12). We need to be saved from the power in the air; this power is Satan. Romans 16:20 says, “Now the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Today, Satan should not be in the air above us; he should be under our feet (Eph. 1:22). When we are in the proper church life, Satan is under our feet. In Matthew 16:18 the Lord Jesus said, “And on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” If we would overcome the power of Satan, we must be built up, that is, we must have the church life. The built up church can overcome the power of Satan. In the proper church life, Satan is crushed under our feet so that the kingdom of God may be brought in. The church life in a locality is the kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17), even the kingdom life. This kingdom is in contrast with the power in the air, the power of Satan.

(Witness Lee, To Be Saved, 36-37)

The local church is the means for God to change the age, to bring in His rule on the earth. Witness Lee encourages God’s people to overcome the power of Satan by being built up together in proper local churches.

God’s Purpose

Corporate Body

Displaying God’s Wisdom

Satan’s Defeat

Expressing God through Sonship

Heading Up All Things

Bibliography

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