Long before she was welcomed into the imperial court, the church was remaking Roman politics, city by city, as she practiced the politics of the kingdom.
This is how the Church wins. She does not refuse political power when it comes, but she doesn't rely on it (and certainly does not sin to obtain it or keep it). Instead, she is an outpost of the Kingdom of Heaven among the kingdoms of men, and by her sacrificial love, her purity, her prophetical witness, and her faithfulness even unto death, she challenges the surrounding nations, transforming them more and more into her likeness.
She changes the world by faithfully being who she is: The Family of the Father, the Body/Bride of the Son, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This is how the City/Temple of God descends from heaven to the earth, as was the pattern that was shown to John on the mountain (Revelation 21:9-22:21).
