VICTORS IN CHRIST

Based on the message of Pastor Dick Carumba

Throughout world history, man has fought countless battles to conquer peoples and lands. But while those battles may be intense, the greatest battle man faces is the one that is spiritual.

It is that constant battle against temptations, wrong thoughts, and negative emotions that truly torments man. It is this invisible war in the mind of every person that seems the hardest to fight and win. But for every believer in Christ, God has promised victory according to His Word.

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

However, we often forget this truth. ‭We must hold on to the several Scriptures which testify to us that whether in the past, present or future, we are victorious through Christ:‬‬

• We became victorious in the past through what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross according to Colossians 2:14-15 (NLT): “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

• We are victorious in the present to bind the works of the enemy according to Matthew 16:18-19: “…And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

• We are also promised to be victorious in the future according to Revelation 19:1-8. This passage speaks of the glorious worship in heaven after winning the final battle against the enemy. The children of God are said to be rejoicing in that triumphant end!

However, while God has promised victory for us in the past, present, and future, why is it that sometimes, we still experience defeat?

It is because we are fighting in the wrong arena. Each time we listen to the voice of the enemy and reason with him, we are fighting in his arena. That’s why we can’t win!

This is what happened in the very first battle of man 6,000 years ago. Adam and Eve were defeated because they fought the enemy in his arena. Eve listened to the words of the serpent. Instead of rebuking him and running away from temptation, she conversed with him and entertained his thoughts.

Human logic and reasoning can never win against the enemy’s arguments. He is the champion of that.

So, don’t fight in his arena but bring the fight to the arena of God!

How? Bring him to the pure Word of God.

The Word of God is the arena of God. That is the right place to fight against the enemy.

• Fight him through the Word of God that tells of his defeat and his end. Remind him of how Jesus already defeated him 2,000 years ago on the Cross.
• Fight him by proclaiming the Word of God that tells about the greatness and sovereignty of God.
• Fight him by proclaiming the promises of God that God has spoken to you through His Word. We can say, “The Lord tells me…! The Word of God says…!” This is how the Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan when he tempted Him in the wilderness. Three times, the Lord quoted the Word of God back to him at every temptation (Matthew 4:1-11).

So, when the enemy tries to attack you, use the Word of God!

The battle is real. But be encouraged that God has ordained that battle for you to experience victory. God allows those trials in our lives not to harm us, but to strengthen us.

We have to realize that our victory in Christ is not in the absence of pain or trouble. For it is in the midst of that pain that He will enable us to emerge victorious.

King David, Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), and our Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:12) are great testimonies of this truth. They all experienced intense pain and suffering, even unto death. But in the midst of those difficult circumstances, they also gained victory after victory.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

So being victorious is not in the absence of adversity but in the midst of it.

But it can also make one wonder, why does God even allow battles in our lives? Why do we have to go through all the trials and sufferings?

The answer lies in 1 Peter 1:7:
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

God allows trials in our lives to purify and strengthen our faith so that we will become victorious.

There was a scientific research done that tried to artificially simulate the healthy growth of a tree. The scientists created a specific area with an abundance of water, nutrients, sunlight, and everything that plants need to grow until it becomes a tree.

But in the end, to their surprise, while the tree was so tall and healthy, it was not strong! They found out that it was because they missed one element: wind.

They realized that winds cause trees to become strong. The more that the winds would batter against the trees, the trees would develop defense mechanisms that make their branches strong.

So, just like trees, true strength is developed in us in times of adversity. It is in that season that God is giving us the opportunity to strengthen our faith and experience victory.

But as hardships abound, the love of Christ abounds even more. 

Just as the stars shine brighter in darkness, Christ’s love manifests even more when we are in trouble.

When you are going through a trial, never believe the lie that you have been abandoned by God. There is an available grace to equate your trial. If your trial is at a 100% level, then there will also be a 100% level of grace and love of God for you. God will make sure that you will have what you need to be victorious.

Romans 8:35-39 speaks of God’s great love towards us even in the midst of adversity. It tells us that nobody can separate us from the love of God. Nobody… except ourselves if we choose to run away from the love of God.

So therefore, what should be our response?

Remain in Christ’s love. John 15:9 tells us, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.” If we remain in God’s love, He gives us His unfailing promise of victory in Psalm 91.

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16)

‭‭Therefore, one of the keys to victory is to love God with all our hearts, soul, and strength all the days of our lives. ‬‬‬‬

So, in the midst of our troubles, may we run to the Word of God and remain in His love. For it is then that we will emerge to be the victors in Christ that He has called us to be.