Life of Victory - 1

LIFE OF VICTORY – 1

We all want victory.  We can immediately think of sports or war.  Victory is overcoming in a struggle.  As Jesus was speaking to His disciples, He told them that in the world they would have tribulation but to take courage for He had overcome the world.  Jhn.16:33   Many times the “world” means inhabited earth.  But we also know that the world is often referring to “worldly”.  Paul writes to the Corinthians about worldly or fleshly wisdom.  2 Cor.1:12   This is not the wisdom of God.  2 Cor.10:4,5   This is similar to the statement that we live in the world but not of the world.

Jesus said we would have tribulation or troubles.  We can all relate to that.  Many of those troubles come in the form of temptation.  Temptation is not evil.  Jesus was tempted.  His response was powerful in that He answered Satan with the Word of God.  How we need to have the Word of God in our hearts.  Phil.2:16; Ps.19:7,8   None of us would want to get wrapped up in sin but it seems that one sin calls for another.  How closely do we stay in the Word?  David gives us the “before” and “after.”  Ps.119:67   The “after” made so much difference for now have I kept Thy Word.  Too often we fall into sin and then remember His Word too late.  God’s Word needs to be in our heart at all times.  The only way is to study His Word every day.  Ps.119:101   This kept David’s feet from every evil way as it will ours.

Temptation is an enticement to do something wrong or forbidden.  In other words—to sin.  Sin is the transgression of the law.  1 Jhn.3:4   Jesus pronounced eternal condemnation on those who practiced lawlessness—those who sinned.  Matt.7:23   Today it seems that man has lessened the meaning of sin by calling it a “failure” or a “weakness.”  Sin is sin and we are all guilty.  Rom.3:23   There are wages to pay when we sin.  Rom.6:23

“The devil made me do it” may be true in that we let the devil have the reigns in our lives.  Satan has desired to foil God’s plans for us since the Garden.  He is a liar and the father of lies.  Jhn.8:44   We have believed these lies.  Satan wants to undo God’s work in us.  Mk.4:15   When we get away from our communication with God (prayer and Bible study) we are open for Satan to enter our heart.  Judas had walked with Jesus three years and yet was vulnerable to Satan’s tactics.  Jhn.13:2

The devil knows our weaknesses and waits to make us fall into sin.  1 Pet.5:8   He is able to disguise himself as an angel of light by assuming charisma, doctrines that seem right, and an outward showing of love but it is all a deception to cause us to fall from the Truth.  The devil’s message to Eve sounded good but caused a separation from God.  2 Cor.11:13-15

The second part of Rom.3:23 gives us great hope.  We are offered a gift of eternal life but it must be in Christ Jesus.  This gift must be something we accept.  We have to believe to the point of obeying in faith.  Jhn.3:36; Heb.5:9   Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, He exchanged His righteousness for our sin.  2 Cor.5:21   If we accept this gift, we can then escape the deception of the devil but we must continue to stand in faith to the end.  Rev.2:10

Jesus has overcome the world so we can have victory in Him.  1 Cor.15:57   This brings us victory because of our faith.  1 Jhn.5:4    As we accept Jesus as our Savior in faith and obedience, we become a new man with the gift of the Holy Spirit living within us.  This is power.  1 Jhn.4:4   Thus, we can look forward to victory in Jesus.    

Even though we look forward to this victory in Jesus, it is not automatic.  We must fight the good fight of faith.  1 Tim.6:11,12   We are given things we must pursue in this fight—righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  We are given armor for this fight.  Eph.6:10,11   We cannot be like the Galatians in  Gal.1:6.  Satan does not let us alone just because we gave our lives to the Lord in becoming Christians.

We must leave the “old things” behind and not take them up ever again.  2 Cor.5:17   Our life is now new in Christ.  Rom.13:14   Gone is the former manner of life and we are new in the spirit of our mind.  Eph.4:22-24