He was in Pilate’s judgment hall. There had been no rest for Him that night. The death struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane had been followed by the kiss of betrayal. He had been pushed and shoved to the judgment hall and tried before Annas and then before Caiaphas. Now He stood before Pilate–weak, waffling Pilate–awaiting the outcome which He knew was inevitable. In fact, it was for this that He had come.

Pilate questioned Him about His kingdom. It was a strange kingdom in the eyes of the worldly ruler. Yet Jesus patiently and kindly tried to explain it to him. “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus.

“If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” John 18:36.

My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, then would my servants fight. That’s hard truth to understand. It was hard for Pilate, and it’s hard for us today. Jesus’ own disciples had trouble understanding.

Peter missed it. He had a sword, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. Although he wasn’t particularly skillful, he didn’t let that stand in his way! And yet, when Jesus submitted to be arrested by the mob in the Garden, Peter was the first disciple to turn tail and flee.

Peter was the one who urged Jesus to avoid the cross with its suffering and death, and for his efforts received one of the sternest rebukes Jesus ever gave. Peter was still fighting to save himself in the courtyard in the hall of Caiaphas. He struggled to save himself from embarrassment, from ridicule. He ended up denying Jesus in his attempt to save himself. He didn’t understand that the servants of Jesus don’t need to fight.

James and John didn’t understand either. They came with their mother to seek the highest place in the kingdom. They were already among the closest three of Jesus’ disciples. But it looked to them like there were going to be only two places of honor coming up–not three-one on the right hand, and the other on the left–and they wanted those places. They were fighting to get ahead of Peter, who would have been the other logical candidate, and so they made their request.

When the last journey to Jerusalem was undertaken, James and John were incensed at the refusal of the Samaritans to offer lodging and refreshment to Jesus and His disciples. They were ready to fight. They weren’t sure they could handle things in a hand-to-hand combat with a whole village, so they requested some heavenly artillery to insure success. And they were surprised at the pained expression on Jesus’ face when they asked for the fire. They didn’t understand that the servants of Jesus don’t need to fight.

Judas didn’t understand either. He was the most intelligent of the disciples. He had picked up on things they had missed. But he didn’t make it when it came to the part about not fighting. He was looking for a kingdom that was of this world. He considered Jesus too meek and mild and unassertive. He felt that Jesus should be a more aggressive leader. He figured Jesus needed a P.R. man, himself, for instance, to take charge of the strategy and direct the battle.

Judas tried to make it happen the day of the feeding of the five thousand. It was the perfect opportunity. The mood of the crowd was just right for raising a revolt. Jesus had outdone Himself in showing His divine authority by multiplying the loaves and the fishes. Judas couldn’t believe it would all end by being sent off into the sunset in the smelly fishing boat, just as if nothing had happened.

Judas wanted to put Christ on the throne. He wanted to see the kingdom established. But he wanted to do it through force, through fighting. And when Jesus did not cooperate with his plans, he decided to go underground.

And he came up with a clever plan. Well he knew the power of Jesus. He had not only seen it in action from the sidelines, he had felt that power in his own life, in healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, and casting out demons. He had no fears for the safety of Jesus. And he was tired of waiting.

The priests and rulers cooperated well. Judas had thought of everything. He made a special point to warn them to hold on tight, once they had Jesus in their grasp. Inwardly he laughed as he anticipated their surprise when Jesus disappeared into the crowd, as He had that day in Nazareth after the church service.

But things didn’t go according to plan. Judas followed behind, waiting for the action to begin. But it didn’t begin. And as the night wore away, a terrible fear began to gnaw at his heart. At last he realized that he had sold his Master to His death.

Suddenly a hoarse voice rang through the hall, “He is innocent; spare Him, O Caiaphas!”

Judas now pressed through the crowded courtroom. His face was pale and haggard, and great drops of sweat stood on his forehead. Rushing to the throne of judgment, he threw down before the high priest the pieces of silver that had been the price of his Lord’s betrayal. Grasping the robe of Caiaphas, he begged him to release Jesus, saying He had done nothing worthy of death.

“I have sinned,” cried Judas, “in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.”

Judas did not understand about a kingdom for which you do not fight. And in the end, he fought himself into a corner, and a thin rope on a high branch was the only way out he could accept.

Have you ever fought to try to put Jesus on the throne in your life? Have you ever tried to fight your way in to the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of grace?

We understand that Jesus would like to be on the throne of our hearts, but we often misunderstand the method for placing Him on that throne. The kingdom of grace is a gift, and you don’t fight for a gift.

This truth about the kingdom was stated to Pilate, right in the middle of the trial of Jesus, but it is just as true for today. It’s easy to miss it. Don’t overlook it. The person who is trying to fight sin and the devil is in the wrong kingdom. God’s servants do not have to fight. God’s servants are not supposed to fight. They are to allow Him to do their fighting through them.

If you have been struggling for years to overcome sin by gritting your teeth and trying hard and making resolutions, you’re a victim of the kingdom of this world. If you’ve been working on your sins, trying to get your act together, you’re a victim of the kingdom of this world. If you have missed the fact that salvation is a gift and that repentance is a gift and obedience is a gift, you’re a victim of the kingdom of this world. This is hard truth for some to understand, and still harder to experience. But it’s still good news, and I invite you to give it your careful study.

One time my father was holding public meetings in a particular town, and a prize fighter came and listened and became interested in the things of the kingdom. But he found it frustrating to try to deal with the sin problems in his life. And one day he told my father, “If the devil would just come out in the open, I could take a swing at him.”

We’re limited by our humanity. Even if the devil were not stronger and more powerful than we are, we still would not be able to fight him ourselves, for he is a spirit, and we aren’t. And how can you fight a spirit? The only way would be to engage another Spirit to do your fighting for you.

We are invited to fight the fight of faith, the fight to set aside prime time every day for fellowship and communion with Jesus, that by beholding Him we may become changed into His image, from glory to glory. Have you discovered how much of a fight that can be? But we are invited not to fight when it comes to the fight of sin. And the struggle to allow God to do the fighting for us can be the greatest fight of all. In fact, it is called the greatest battle ever fought, this warfare against self and self-dependence and self-effort.

But for those who are willing to learn about the kingdom of heaven, for those who are willing to allow the Lord to fight for them, victory is assured. We can join the disciples in rejoicing in the good news that the servants of God do not have to fight, because the battle has already been won.