The story is told of Frederick William IV of Prussia, who once visited a school and quizzed the students. He held up a stone and asked the children: to what kingdom does this belong? They responded: mineral. He then pointed to a flower and asked: to what kingdom does this belong? They answered: plant. He then pointed to a bird flying by outside the window and asked: to what Kingdom does that belong? They replied: animal. Then he asked: now, to what kingdom do I belong? He unknowingly had raised a profoundly theological question.

When it concerns our spiritual life, it is vitally important to be certain which kingdom we are in. Most things in this life are not absolutes. We generally can move through life - not at the extremes of black or white - but drifting in the grey area between. Such is not the case with regard to our spiritual lives. Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters [emp. rlb]" (Luke 11:23). There is no grey area - no middle ground.

Paul said essentially the same thing in his letter to the Colossians. He wrote, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:13). Before the Colossians were conveyed into the kingdom of Christ, they were under the power of darkness. The same is true for us today. If we are not in the kingdom of Christ we are in Satan’s kingdom "under the power of darkness."

There are only two spiritual choices: Christ or Satan. God has given us the free will to decide to which one we will belong. Ask yourself, to which kingdom do you belong? Are you serving Christ? If not, you are serving Satan. It seems to me the prospects for those in Christ’s kingdom are a whole lot better than for those in Satan’s kingdom. If Satan has been your lord, why not change before it is everlastingly to late.