Hi, I hope this finds you well and blessed. As you know I love to write about God and his goodness, and how we can live in all that was paid for on the cross. Today will be no different. Though it may be only bits and pieces I hope this helps someone. It definitely helps me, therefore I would like to thank you for reading my ramblings. Anyway, on to the post.
I don't know about you, but I have always heard about victory in Jesus but never understood what that victory was aside from the fact that believing in Jesus would get us to heaven after death. But I am learning more and more every day about what that victory is and how to experience it daily. I will do my best to explain.
We are living in a world that is in crisis mode. Everything is so urgent and pressing, catastrophic even. Peace only comes in short, but sweet cycles. But did you know we do not have to fall victim to this crisis trend? Now the world would have us believe that living in crisis mode is normal and that if we don't participate, apparently something is wrong with us, but it is not. We are overcomers, set apart and we no longer let the world dictate to us what life is and how we should live it. Jesus did not die on the cross for us to live a life short of victorious. Now, I have not arrived where I don't suffer some of these things, but I am learning. So let's talk about how we can be victorious in this life.
Let's start with this Luke 10:19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread serpents and scorpions underfoot, and to trample on all the power of the Enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." So if we have that authority why are things still a mess? Perhaps it is because there may be a misunderstanding of what and where this authority is and how to use it. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have the divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. This is where our authority starts. This is where we tear down walls, destroy strongholds, and fight battles. No, it is not always easy and no, it is not an automatic thing, it requires study (to renew our minds) and practice. This world will do its best to convince us that truth is the things that we experience through our physical senses. We must be able to compare the things that the world says are true to the word of God. Until we learn to do this, to put this into practice daily, we will remain at the mercy of a fallen world full of lies, and confusion with no solid foundation. Our victory is dependant on this. Let's look at the example Jesus gives us on how to win the battles we face. Grab your bible and go to Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. I hope you realize that this is an example of how we are to do battle, it's not just a story or words on a page. Now with all of the things that the devil tempted Jesus with, Jesus simply replied with the written, living, and active word of God, full of truth and power and the gates of hell shall not prevail over it. We should note that the devil does not care if you know the word, but he is terrified when you believe it and use it. You see, when you know and believe (with full faith and confidence) the word you then have the authority and power to put him underfoot, to crush his plans. Hebrews 4:12 tells us "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart".
So how is it we gain this faith and confidence in God's word? May I suggest, a relationship. You can walk with him, talk with him, tell him all your troubles, and ask questions (not questioning his authority) concerning knowledge, just like you would with your spouse, family, or friends. We can look at another example, let's go to Acts 28 Paul, after being shipwrecked, has been bitten by a venomous snake, that has literally latched onto his arm. What does he do? He shakes it off and continues on. Now, if you are confused as to how this relates to being victorious we must realize that everyone expected him to die, but Paul knew that he had a choice to make when it came to his thinking, he could either think like those around him and die or he could choose the word of God and live. Remember Proverbs 23:7 "As one thinks in his heart, so is he," and again in Matthew 8 when the centurion comes to Jesus asking for healing for his friend, his servant does Jesus not tell him "Go and will be done for you as you believed", these of are not just good words, they are full of life and truth, they are alive and active in our life for the believer and non-believer. The difference is the believer knows God's word and that it is truth, the unbeliever only bases things off of worldly expectations and thoughts which leads to defeat and death. Should Paul have been convinced by the thoughts of those around him, he could have possibly died.
The life we live is a choice, one that we must make. We can live like the chaotic world, or we can live life to the fullest, the life that Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior died for us to live. I look back at the years that I spent in crisis mode thinking like the world, being in fear like the world, and expecting the same carnal outcomes as the world. I am so thankful that one of the promises of God is that he will restore the years. Amen. The Bible is a book of directions, like when we purchase something that says "some assembly required" so is our life when we are determined to follow Jesus.
I know that I often talk about the importance of our thoughts, but as I study, it has become apparent that alot hinges on this. You may be surprised at how much of the word goes back to our thinking and being able to control our thoughts. When we learn to control our thoughts we will learn to walk in the victory that Jesus died for us to have.
