Victory!

If I were to write a book, I think I’d like to have it bound in black leather with nothing else on the front cover except for the word “Victory”.
I think of all of the posts I’ve done over the years and what I really want for those who’ve read any of them is victory. The ideas I talk about come directly from things that the Lord deals with me and my heart.
In that, I also see that His desire for me is victory.

Victory?

If I don’t have victory, what do I have? I’d be curious to poll a large group and see what answers come from that question. I imagine that the main knee-jerk answer will be ‘defeat’ but that’s just my speculation.
However, I’m not sure that I agree with defeat as an answer. Defeat as a word, is too final. “Defeated” would be a more appropriate choice but even then, the expression is more specialized; if you don’t have victory, you have constraint, oppression, enslavement and ongoing sufferings that don’t attain to any lasting benefit.

Victory is when those old tricks no longer work on you - People who deal in negativism can’t look to involve you in their conversations because your mind stays hooked into a Philippians 4:8 mindset where words are meant to edify and the mind is meant to think on good things.
Every day is another exciting opportunity to have your mind renewed by the washing of the Word and you’re selective to make sure that the truth you ingest is Scripturally sound….instead of selfishly appealing.
You no longer have to make excuses for your personality. It may take work but as it’s crucified with Christ you realize the truth; if your personality stands in the way of God’s work toward your Christlikeness, there’s no value in retaining any of it.
You don’t wait, watching for the downfall of the wicked. You pray for their repentance and have a desire to worship in truth rather than take joy in their ‘payback’.
Victory is shone in that endearing spirit – a sincere desire to help turn the wayward, an uncompromising drive to serve needs regardless of the person’s ‘presentation’ and an unrelenting devotion to personally know the depths of Christ.
Your life is joyfully enriched by finding someone who will come alongside and disciple you just as much as you realize the lessons you’ve learned can benefit others and you’re available to help gain victories for them.

In Victory, the world takes its proper position as the refining fire and the proving ground. It's just the complex mechanics that is used to teach us the difference between the future and the futile; the truth and the temporary; the Sovereign and the superficial - And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.(1 John 2:17)

It’s SO easy to talk a good game. Victory is evident when your actions actually speak louder than your words and the perceptions of people have little effect on your direction and momentum. Your light shines wherever you go and you know that being in church is an obedient expression of your faith, but being IN Christ is way bigger than what happens on Sunday.
Victory is not grandiose, bravado or arrogance – it’s in all humility that you needed (and continually so) a Saviour who secured the victory that has been appropriated to you. However it is confident in a way that trusts the abilities of Christ and is affirmed in truth. This is why fear is incompatible with victory, ‘perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love’(1 John 4:18).

Here’s The Word:

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1 Chronicles 29:11 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

At the end of it all, there are thousands upon thousands of books; many with so many valuable insights and creatively clever uses of scripture to motivate us to the places I'm talking about - but the fact remains; YOU have to want it...you have to WANT to want it! And if you really want it, you will not be denied. In Christ IS the Victory!


In Him,
Cros