Scripture: Col 1:13, Eph 6:10-12, etc.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col 1:13-14).
This spiritual reality of those in Christ was what Paul himself learned through his own experience on the road to Damascus. We too had previously suffered under the “dominion of darkness,” but now we have been transferred “into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” If we were previously in the world of “darkness,” we are now in the world of light—a kingdom ruled by Christ the Son as King. We were brought out of the kingdom ruled by Satan, the king of darkness, into the kingdom ruled by Christ, the king of light. This reality was what Jesus spoke of at the time of his conversion as follows:
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:17-18).
Note that the phrase “from darkness to light” is rephrased as “from the power of Satan to God.” As God is light, Satan’s power is darkness. This spiritual transfer allowed us to receive “a place (Gr: kleros, Hb: cheleq, nachalah)” in God’s kingdom of light. Just as the twelve tribes of Israel who entered the Promised Land received portions of the land, which was further allocated to each household, and began to live there. Originally, Adam was given the Garden of Eden as his place, as well as the power to rule over the earth and all kinds of spiritual blessings, but when he fell into Satan’s temptation and sinned, Satan took them away from him. So, Christ came as a human, fought and defeated Satan to give them back to us.
He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col 2:13-15).
