Internal conquest has to do with victory over sin in the life of the Christian. The result of internal conquest is complete release from the power that causes us to act, speak, and think in a manner displeasing to God. It is victory over the devil, over the spirit of the age in which we live, and over the impulses of our fleshly nature.

External conquest has to do with breaking the yoke of sin in the area of responsibility assigned to the Christian, whether it be his home or the nations of the earth. Eventually, sin and sinners will be destroyed out of the heavens and the earth. In order to be saved from the wrath that will be exercised through the sons of God, every creature must bow the knee and confess that Jesus is Lord.

Each Christian will be free from sin and his environment will be free from sin.

To be led of the Spirit of God is to be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit in service (gifts and ministries), in living a godly life (internal conquest), and in rulership (external conquest). The last area, rulership, will be more fully expressed when the Lord comes.

Ministry and conquest are not synonymous but they influence each other. The Christian life of victorious faith requires that we follow the Holy Spirit both in ministry and in conquest.

Conquest has to do with the formation of Christian character and with the development of the ability of the Christian to follow Christ into the land of promise, into his inheritance, into the rest of God, into the subjugation of the earth. The Christian learns and becomes able, by means of many graces and experiences, to express the will of Christ in each situation in which he is placed.

Conquest is the process of redemption, moving us from chaos of spirit, soul, and body, all the way to the image of Christ and perfect union with God. Conquest includes the total destruction of the guilt, tendencies, and effects of sin. Every trace of satanic influence is to be removed from our personality.

Conquest is the move from the bondage of "Pharaoh" to the liberty of the law of the Spirit of life, and finally to rest in the land of promise. Conquest proceeds in terms of a permanent change in the image and behavior of the Christian, commencing with the subjection of his will to the will of Christ and continuing through dominion over all the works of Satan to eventual rulership over God's creation.

Conquest is an eternal transformation of the entire personality of the Christian, making him fit to rule with God in the restoring of what was lost in Eden; bringing him to perfect fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham (Genesis 22:17).

Ministry, on the other hand, is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Ministry is temporary (I Corinthians 13:8-10) whereas the formation of the conquering personality is eternal. The Holy Spirit does not give a Christian instant, actual dominion over God's works except in the legal, visionary, potential sense. Rather, God guides and enables the Christian as he fights his way into his land of promise. The gaining of our inheritance in Christ takes a while to accomplish.

But the gifts of ministry are given by the Spirit as "talents" to each member of the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:11). The gifts come as impartations, although it may require a period of time before the Christian learns to develop and operate his ministry in an edifying and fruitful manner.

To be continued.