Third, believing that we have been crucified with Christ and that we have been buried, we must apply this death to ourselves. Therefore, we must be circumcised. This is the application of the death of Christ to our flesh. If we realize that we are buried with Christ and raised with Christ, we must put our flesh to death; we must apply the death of Christ to our fleshly members. This is circumcision, and this is what we must practice day by day. We must daily take the ground that we are dead and buried and apply the death of Christ to our members. We not only need to apply His death to all our situation but also moment by moment to apply His death to our fleshly members and put them to death.
In the second chapter of Colossians we are told that we have been buried and raised with Christ and then in chapter 3 that our life is now hidden with Christ in God (v. 3). On this basis we are then told in Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth.” If we realize our burial and resurrection with Christ, we must apply His death to our fleshly members in a practical way by faith.
Fourth, immediately after applying the death of Christ to our members on the ground of being buried and resurrected with Him, we enjoy something of the life. We enjoy the produce of the land, the all-inclusive Christ. The manna stops, and the produce of the land takes its place. The large Christ replaces the little Christ. Before this we were continually enjoying a little Christ—the manna. But by this time the little Christ has ceased. Now we are tasting the greater, the richer, the fuller Christ; now we are enjoying the land, the all-inclusive Christ.
Brothers and sisters, are you now enjoying the manna, or are you now enjoying the land? What are you enjoying today? Undoubtedly, we are all enjoying Christ, but what kind of Christ? Perhaps there are some who are enjoying Christ only as the lamb of the passover. Most of us, probably, are enjoying Him only as the daily manna. But the produce of the land is much better than manna. What is your experience? Perhaps some of you would say that it is very difficult to answer. Sometimes you enjoy Christ as the manna, and sometimes it seems you enjoy Christ as the produce of the land. Whether or not you enjoy Him as the produce of the land depends very much on your burial. How much have you realized that you have been buried and that you are now on the ground of resurrection?
Let me illustrate. Suppose that early this morning I met a certain person who is extremely peculiar. This particular person always causes me to experience the resurrection life. The Lord has created this person and in His sovereign wisdom has brought him to me. The Lord knows why I need him. In order to deal with him, I need the very power of resurrection day by day. Suppose that early this morning this person acted very strangely and greatly disturbed me. I was exceedingly unhappy with him, and my anger was aroused. Then returning to my room, I felt condemned in my conscience and made confession to the Lord. I said, “Lord, forgive me. I failed; I have been defeated. But I praise You, Lord, I am cleansed by Your precious blood.” After confessing and being forgiven, I was nourished; I enjoyed something of Christ. What kind of enjoyment was this? It was the enjoyment of Christ as a little bit of manna. I enjoyed the manna.
Now suppose that another day this same person troubled me again, and I was disturbed by him. But this time I took the ground of resurrection. I said, “Lord, I am resurrected. On the ground of resurrection I exercise my spirit to put my members to death.” Then instead of being angry with him, I was so happy in the Lord. I could say, “Hallelujah! Praise You, Lord, for my dear, peculiar brother.” I applied the Lord’s death to my members, which are always angry with others, and I gained a fresh experience and enjoyment of Christ. What kind of experience was this? This experience was quite different from that of Christ as the manna. This was an experience of Christ as the produce of the good land. You see, both were experiences of Christ but were Christ in different aspects. In the first way I enjoyed Christ as the little manna, and in the second way as the rich produce of the land.
Fifth, we not only need to remember that we have been buried, that we are on the ground of resurrection, and that we must apply the Lord’s death to our members in a practical way, but we must also remember that there are evil powers in the heavenlies. We must fight the battle with the enemy. We are enjoying a portion of the all-inclusive Christ, yet the enemy and his evil forces in the heavenlies are still usurping and occupying the land. You and I have to fight the battle to take possession of the entire land. Brothers and sisters, as soon as we enjoy Christ in such a way, we realize in our spirit the reality of the evil forces in the heavenlies. These evil forces are veiling the all-inclusiveness of Christ from the Lord’s children. Very few of the Lord’s people can realize the all-inclusiveness of Christ simply because of the accusations of the evil powers in the heavenlies. To this very day the evil forces are still veiling the all-inclusiveness of Christ. Therefore, we must fight the battle. There is an exceedingly real spiritual warfare in which we must engage. By enjoying something of the all-inclusive Christ, we will be burdened for this fighting; we will be burdened for this battle. That is why we have been formed as an army. The conflict is before us.
It is at this stage that we are given the vision of the Lord Christ as the Prince, the glorious Captain, of Jehovah’s army (Josh. 5:14). He will take the lead in the army, He will go before us, and He will fight the battle for us. We need such a vision. How could Joshua receive this vision? It was simply because he was exceedingly burdened for the battle before him. Immediately after he and the people of Israel enjoyed the produce of the good land, he realized that before them lay the enemy and the stronghold of Jericho. Joshua had a clear view of the situation, and he was burdened for the battle. I believe that because of this he went to the Lord in prayer, and at that time the Lord revealed Himself to Joshua as the Captain of Jehovah’s army. Joshua received such a vision and, thereby, the faith and assurance that the Lord was with him. Joshua knew then without a shadow of doubt that the Lord Himself as the Captain of the army of Jehovah was going before him. We too need such an assurance.
Some can testify from their own experience that immediately after enjoying something of the all-inclusiveness of Christ, they have realized the need of spiritual warfare. They have seen that the enemy and his evil powers in the heavenlies are still usurping the good land of the all-inclusive Christ and veiling it from the Lord’s children. Who will fight the battle to uncover the land? If we enjoy Christ in such a way, we will spontaneously go to the Lord with a burden for the battle. It is then that He will give us a vision of Himself as the Captain. He will show us that He is at the head of the army, and He will go before us to fight the battle. We can then go forward with full assurance.
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