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This world is His battlefield now; and when this conflict is at an end there will be an end to something else, "He shall reign till — ," and no longer.

I. WHO ARE CHRIST'S ENEMIES?

1. All those agencies in the world which are opposed to God. Christ is on the throne for God; so that whatever in evil spirits, in bad men, in society, in institutions, habits, experiences, is warring against God, is against Christ, and He is against it.

2. All those agencies in the world which are against us. He is on the throne for us. Our cause is His. Every evil which injures or threatens us.

(1) All our intellectual enemies — ignorance or error.

(2) All our moral enemies — sin in every form.

(3) All our physical enemies — pain, sickness, disease, death — all these are included among Christ's enemies.

3. We may answer the question by referring to Christ's life in the flesh. He came here to do battle; and all His life He was engaged in the conflict, attacking — not men; He never touched a man in any way but to bless him — but He was in conflict with all the powers of evil of which men were the instruments and victims. And the battle is still the same. Through His true people He is now carrying on the war with ignorance, unrighteousness, pain. And we may be sure that He will be victorious, not only because it is said in the Bible, and we therefore believe it, but because it is God that is engaged in the conflict.

II. WHAT SHOULD BE OUR SUPREMEST CARES IN REFERENCE TO THIS GREAT CONFLICT?

1. To be ourselves delivered. We must each ask himself, will He put my enemies under His feet? It depends on whether you will let Him undertake for you. Your faith must lay hold of His strength.

2. To take our part in it on His side. In this great conflict there is no neutrality. And for what reasons should it be our great care to range ourselves in this battle on His side? Because —

(1) It is an honourable service. Frenchmen speak with no unnatural pride of having served under the "Great Napoleon." Something of the lustre of the name and achievements of the great captain is reflected in his humblest follower. And so it is in the spiritual conflict.

(2) Christ has a claim upon our service. It is our cause that He is contending for, and it cost Him His life.

(3) It is a strife for goodness and human happiness.

(4) There is victory with that side.

3. To engage ourselves in that part of the field where spiritual evils are the enemies combated against. Noble is it to follow Christ in the war He waged with physical evils; but the noblest work is to spread Christ's truth, for where that is spread all evils diminish. And further, what is the life of the body compared with the life of the soul?

(D. Thomas, B.A.)

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KJV: For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

WEB: For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.