On Baptism
We moderns tend to have a very diluted view of what baptism signifies. Yes, the act of baptism is a formalized turning over of our lives to Christ. And yes, it is by that turning over of ourselves to Christ that we become members of His body. But there is more to the story.
When you’re baptized into the body of Christ, you’re taking an oath of allegiance (becoming a citizen) and an oath of enlistment (becoming a soldier). That oath of loyalty to Christ and His kingdom implies a rejection of all that opposes them, chief among them being Satan and those principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places (See Ephesians 6:12). We are, in taking that oath, turning the territory of our souls over to the kingdom and pledging to be bearers of light that serve to drive out the darkness wherever we go.
At one time, the rejection of that darkness was made explicit in the baptismal process.
In the early church, new converts entered a process of instruction as catechumens (Greek katēkhoumenos, “being instructed”), in which they were taught the basics of the Christian faith. Only upon clear understanding and conscious profession of faith would a catechumen be accepted for baptism. The earliest accounts of baptismal practice thus record not only a profession of faith, but the renunciation of Satan. Tertullian of Carthage writes,
“When we are going to enter the water, but a little before, in the presence of the congregation and under the hand of the bishop, we solemnly profess that we disown the devil, and his pomp, and his angels.”1
Thus, baptism was not only an affirmation of faith and a pledge of loyalty to the risen Lord, but a de facto declaration of war against all the forces of spiritual darkness. In the words of Dr. Michale Heiser:
In effect, baptism in New Testament theology is a loyalty oath, a public avowal of who is on the Lord’s side in the cosmic war between good and evil. But in addition to that, it is also a visceral reminder to the defeated fallen angels. Every baptism is a reiteration of their doom in the wake of the gospel and the kingdom of God. Early Christians understood the typology of this passage and its link back to the fallen angels of Genesis 6. Early baptismal formulas included a renunciation of Satan and his angels for this very reason. Baptism was — and still is — spiritual warfare.2
It’s important that we recapture this ancient conception of what baptism is and means. Not only to remind ourselves of the unseen conflict of which we are necessarily a part, but also to remind us that we have an active role to play in that conflict.
There are no dual citizens or civilians in the kingdom of God. We are, for the time being, in enemy territory. And it’s how we occupy ourselves until Christ’s return that will determine our eternal reward. We should live with that fact ever in mind so that when we stand before our Lord, He’ll say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Resources -
‘Naked Bible Podcast’ on Baptism
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/have-you-renounced-satan
https://drmsh.com/baptism-spiritual-warfare/