Joe McIntyre

Contrary to what one might think from the headline, “sharing Christ’s throne,” or throne life, as I call it, is not some high spiritual accomplishment for an elite class of believers. Rather, it’s the privilege and inheritance of every believer.

Jesus invites us to share with Him in the glory of His enthronement at the Father’s right hand. The fact that many of God’s children have not entered in to this standing in grace does not prove that it is not for all.

The fullness of God’s blessings are already ours in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), awaiting our comprehension and appropriation. 

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…

Jesus said that the overcomer would be enthroned with Him and enjoy His victory.

Revelation 3:21
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 

John – who is writing to the church at Laodicea, a lukewarm and self satisfied church at best – exhorts them to be zealous and repent and He will open the door to the throne for them to join Him. John tells us that this overcoming is for every believer. 

1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. 

Wuest’s Expanded Translation of 1 John 5:5
If we are Born Again, we are born of God. If we are born of God, we are (at least potentially) constantly coming off victorious.

We must have full confidence in our identification with Christ. 

Much of the doctrinal confusion in the body of Christ today comes from a lack of understanding of Paul’s revelation. The backbone of Paul’s teaching is the fact that we were participants in all that Jesus endured. 

  • We were crucified with Him. Rom. 6:6: Gal. 2:20: Gal. 6:14
  • We died with Him. 2 Cor. 5:14, 15; Col. 2:20; Rom. 6:8; Col. 3:3; Rom. 6:10, 11
  • We were buried with Him. Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12
  • We were made alive with Him. Col. 2:13; Eph. 2:5
  • We were raised with Him. Col. 3:1; Eph. 2:6
  • We were seated (or enthroned) with Him. Eph. 2:6
  • We were anointed with Him. Heb.1:9; Acts 2:33
  • We will be manifested with Him. Col. 3:4; Rom. 8:19 

We have been identified with Christ in His Finished Work. All that He did, He did for us. His victory is our victory. His defeat of Satan is our defeat of Satan. His authority over demonic forces is ours. His freedom to come before the Father is ours as well. All of the above quoted Scriptures are divine fact. They are realities. They are now ours. They were freely given to us in the grace of God.

But they must be possessed. Paul exhorted us to “fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12) It is a good fight because Jesus has already won the decisive battle. We are enforcing His defeat of Satan and evil forces in His name. We are His representatives clothed with His presence and power. We are dressed in armor that protects us in the battle. As one translator puts it “having overcome all, stand.” Another says “having conquered all, stand.”

Our destiny is victory but it doesn’t happen automatically. We must possess it by an aggressive faith.

Want an aggressive faith? Read Throne Life or listen to the Throne Life series for more.

As we learn to appropriate God’s abundant grace, we see sin’s dominion melt and disintegrate. We are enabled to rise above its downward pull. We learn to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. We begin to walk in resurrection power and bring our flesh under. Discovering who we are in Christ we find stability in our new identity. We are who God says we are! We start to walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)

Hebrews 10:12-13
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 

Jesus is waiting (the King James Version translated the word waiting as expecting) for the Father – through His body – to subdue all His enemies under His feet. Father will make His enemies His footstool. It is important to note that this imagery portrays Satan as the footstool of the Body of Christ. This speaks of Satan’s absolute submission to Christ, and, therefore, to His Body. 

It is true that we don’t see this manifested yet. But as we comprehend all that Christ has accomplished for us, and entreat the Holy Spirit to empower us to walk in it, we shall see the nations touched by an empowered gospel of the kingdom, accompanied by signs and wonders. Some would say we are expecting too much in this present age. I would rather be guilty of expecting too much in this age than being guilty of expecting too little. 

Declaration:

Father, I ask that You, by Your Holy Spirit within me, would unveil to me the riches of Christ and enable me to walk in them. Open the eyes of my understanding, flooding them with Light, so that I might see and understand all that Christ has purchased for me and the Body of Christ. Thank You that I am Your child, born of Your Spirit. I have within me the Spirit of Sonship and I long to do Your will. It is my desire to be a Father-pleaser, like Son number One. By Your grace I can walk in what You say is mine. I am what You say I am. I have what You say I have, and I can do what You say I can do. 

Adapted from Chapter One of Throne Life.