The more I look at the big picture given by scripture, the more I see that the ultimate intention of God in creation is an issue of government.  The question from the beginning was who is going to rule the creation?  Will man trust God, enjoy the paradise he has placed him in and govern according to the nature of his creator?  Will he take of the tree of life for his nourishment and have faith that God will give him all he needs to live out his purpose or will he take the knowledge of good and evil and thereby do things according to his own devices?  This is what was going on in the beginning and we are still fighting this same battle today. 

Satan's lie that we would be like God if we know good and evil brings us into the realm where we trust our own wisdom to live our lives rather than trusting in God to supply everything for us.  This issue of government, of who is going to rule, of who we will trust is what the purpose of all creation rests upon.  The cross was not ultimately about salvation, evangelism or sanctification.  These are part of the gospel but they are not the gospel.  These things are a part of what God is ultimately after and that is a kingdom.  The gospel is the kingdom of God having come through the man Jesus Christ and by faith in him all the trappings of the fall, the old man of sin is put to death and we can walk in the newness of life according to the spirit that now dwells within.  We come into this new corporate man, Christ Jesus, and we make up his body as he is our head.

We have now come into the new city, the kingdom of God and we are here to wage war against the powers of darkness.  All  authority has been given unto me THEREFORE GO...  In order to go and have impact we need to have the mind of Christ.  A mind that recognized that all authority has been given for a purpose.  We have been saved for something, we are being perfected for something and that something is to rule and reign with Christ.  To battle against evil.  Both the evil of our former selves (which is a lifelong battle made up of little deaths) and also the evil in the lives of others.  Notice I did not say that we are to battle against others.  What we battle against are spiritual forces in high places.  It is a fight between the kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God.  Christ is the Lord and He is victorious!  The creation was made by him, through him and to him and he is coming to claim it once and for all.  But let us not forget that he is here now, he is living within each and every believer and his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.  We are part of a spiritual kingdom and are sent with a purpose of proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of Christ.

I really don't know where I am going with all this.  The only thing I know for sure is that I have been way too focused on the physical, material world and not at all concerned with the things that I have been called to do.  I have not been focused on the war.  I have not been in the battle.  I am like dead weight in the kingdom, a lazy soldier who hides while my brothers and sisters fight the good fight.  At least, I hope someone is fighting...I just want to encourage you and be encouraged to do what matters.  To serve, encourage and admonish one another.   Don't forget, this is war.