To continue our thoughts from yesterday, we are promised by Christ that we will be victorious in our life with Him. Happy victorious Christian living is completely within our grasp. We saw yesterday in Ephesians 6 the gospel armour that God provides for us – we saw the complete salvation that we have in Him – we saw the abundant life we have in Him – we saw the everlasting life we have in Him – and we saw how this salvation gives us victory over sin and the world. Today, we’re going to look at some other wonderful aspects demonstrated by our victory in Christ Jesus.
Next, we have victory over Satan. Our verse above tells us that we can get victory daily over the devil. The first part of the verse tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” This seems to be a recurring theme throughout our studies of our Christian walk – complete submission to Him. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” This requires a humble obedience to the will of God. In Ephesians 5:18 Paul tells us to “be filled with the Spirit.” This comes from selling out to Him. It’s only through selling out to Christ that we will find the strength to defeat the devil. Then in Ephesians 6:11-12, he tells us to equip ourselves with the gospel armour, “That ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against … spiritual wickedness.” It takes God’s special equipment to defeat the devil, because he “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pe 5:8).” In His prayer of intercession in John 17, Christ asked God to “keep them from the evil [one].” We can be assured that God gives us the strength daily to defeat the devil in our lives, just as He has assured us that He will have the ultimate victory over Satan.
Next, we have victory over tribulation. It’s a fact of Scripture that the world hates Christians. Christ told us in John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” And in 2 Timothy 3:12 Paul tells us, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Therefore tribulation at the hands of the world will come. But as we saw yesterday, in John 16:33, Christ tells us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” There is not any persecution that the world can throw at you that Christ cannot meet with the full force of heaven and overcome. There are some tribulations that we shall meet that do not come from the world. Sometimes, bad things just happen to good people – it may be a test from God – it may be to get a chance to witness to someone – it may be for the building of our faith. But, be assured, God will always receive glory from it and He is always there to help us get through it and to overcome it.
I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,"
And somehow Jesus came and bro't
To me the victory.
E. M. Bartlett
Quote – “There are no victories at discount prices.” – Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
E. M. Bartlett
Quote – “There are no victories at discount prices.” – Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
