The churches with their hymn-singing and Bible programs are annoying to Satan who despises anything resembling righteousness. But when the ministries of the Body of Christ enter into the travail necessary to form Christ, God's Conqueror, in the saints, Satan takes his place in front of the woman in an attempt to devour Christ as soon as He is brought forth.

Satan always seeks to slay the Life of Christ as it is developed in us.

God will never allow Satan to touch the Son, just as God prevented King Herod from slaughtering the Baby Jesus.

The formation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Church marks the termination of the rule of Satan over the world.

The woman, the wonder in the heaven, gave birth to a Son. The Son is God's Conqueror. The Son is singular in number. The sons of God are plural in number. The Body of Christ is the Son in the sons.

When we are speaking of the members of the Body of Christ concerning their ministry, or concerning their gaining victory over the world, the sins of their flesh, and Satan, we speak of them as being plural—which in fact they are. They are the many members of the one Body of Christ.

But when we speak of rulership over the creation of God we speak in the singular. It is the Son, Christ, who always is God's Ruler.

The interaction of singular and plural can be noted in the fact that the Seed of Abraham is singular in number; yet the Seed is as the stars of the heavens and as the grains of sand on the shore in number.

The Son is Christ, and none other. Yet the Son is Christ in the elect—formed in the elect and abiding in the elect. The Church labors in the travail of ministry and nurture until Christ is formed in the saints.

The Son is to "rule all nations with a rod of iron."

A Ruler is being created in the true Church: not primarily a healer, a teacher, a deliverer, a judge, although also these, but a Ruler.

The problem God faces is that of rebellion. Satan and others have rebelled against the rule of God. The rebellion has infected mankind. A substantial part of His creation is in rebellion against God.

God could have solved His problem by destroying all rebels—angels and people. But God is planning for the future. By forming His chosen King in people, God is bringing forth the Head and Body of a Ruler—the Governor of the new world of righteousness.

The Lord Jesus was tested to the utmost in obedience to the rule of the Father. Each son who would aspire to rule with the Lord Jesus must be tested to the utmost in obedience to the rule of the Father. Out of the agony of each "Gethsemane" must come the cry of the crucified soul, "Not my will but Yours be done."

It is a Ruler who is being formed today, a Ruler who will govern the creation of God to the ages of ages.

To be continued.