Spring 2006
His Banner Over Me
Maurice Lindsay

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love.” Song of Solomon 2:4

A “banner” is symbolic of power, authority, and conquest. The Bridegroom brought the Bride into the banqueting house. Here, there is “effervescence,” called the house of wine. Wine is produce by picking and crushing grapes for their nectar. The banqueting house, or house of wine is the place where the blessings of Christ, pressed out at Calvary, are enjoyed by the one brought here.

When we eat His body and drink His blood, we partake of and enjoy His Life, within us.

“It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

His Word becomes like wine to us, intoxicating our hearts in love that knows no bounds. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, faith, meekness and temperance. These comprise the blessings of Christ in us. Here is shown the deep, intrinsic power of the love of Christ in the soul of His own, as expressed in Ephesians 2:5-6

“Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

There must first come the rebirth of our spirit, by the blood of Christ through His death on the Cross. We must come to personally, intimately know Him, and through Him, the Father; for Jesus said:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” John 17:3

From this wonderful beginning comes the entrance into the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of God.

“Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:20

If our eyes are open, we will see that when we are in Christ, we are also in God, and God is in us. In spirit we are seated with Christ at the right hand of God. This is the power side of God; His authority resides here.

“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love to all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” (Greek, the might of His power) Ephesians 1:15-19

Here is the greatest power in the universe working in behalf of His saints. Did you ever have the presence of God come and sit within your heart with that goading and convicting Love – “Love is strong as death?” Christ established this upon the Cross of Calvary.

His death exposed to public view, the essential being of God. “His banner over me was Love.”

When Jesus gave up His spirit on the Cross, His love was expressed to the world and every one who believes in Him experiences that love in his heart; the effect of this love is death to self worked out in the heart by the beloved Holy Spirit who takes of Christ’s and shows it to the believer, thus glorifying the Son of God.

This death to self is carried on within, as we lean upon our Beloved on the way up from the wilderness. Conquest brought about by the Love wherewith Christ loves us is a conquest indeed; a conquest of the heart to become a love-slave to Jesus Christ. This love of God manifest in Christ within us, is the banner over us. It is our protection, our guide and teacher.

“Now thanks be to God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are to God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savor of death to death; and to the other the savor of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things?” II Corinthians 2:14-16

Paul in the salutation to the church in Philippi calls himself and Timothy servants of Christ Jesus. Jesus said to the disciples, when He was asked who should be greatest among them:

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11

When Jesus made water into wine in Cana, no one knew whence came the wine, but the servants knew. A “servant” is a unique calling in the Kingdom of God; it is the position of revelation. There was a unique relationship between Paul and this particular Church; they had given much to him personally and to the assistance of others; they cared about his welfare and position. Paul was cognizant of all that this Church had in its core as to loving Christ and each other in Christ.

Where there is conformity to the will of God, there is peace and love. This is indicative of the unity of the Church, its members, Christ, and God. This is the most powerful force in the earth.

When the Bride humbled herself to the position of submissive equality, she became a partner with Christ, united with Him in Spirit, to work with Him in His work. She knew in her heart when she said in Song of Solomon 7:10, “I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is toward me” that she was in His eyes as a Beloved object of His own.

She is bought with a price, even the blood of Jesus, but “His banner over her is Love,” which is such a strong desire for her that she shall never be removed from Him; for He will protect her, care for her, unite with her to the accomplishment of His will in communion with her.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3:18

Through our constant waiting upon Him, we are changed from our own glory to His marvelous glory. Union is essential to communion, and when union occurs, the thought processes of the one conform to the thought processes of the other, so that all is needed to communicate is thought.

As I contemplate the Christ who loved me and gave Himself for me, my life is changed as by the Spirit. I now live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

The Bride says to Him:

“We have a little sister, and she has no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?” Song of Solomon 8:8

She is immature and needs guidance, so the Bride asks her Beloved, “What shall we do?”

Working together, she and the Beloved will make a building fitly framed together, with her in her proper place within it. The banner of Love is over His Church; everything that goes on in it is controlled by that banner; for it is His banner and expresses what He is. ... “The God Love is” (John 4:8 Literal Greek).