We sang a song at church yesterday by Planetshakers. The words are still ringing in my mind this morning. It says, “Hallelujah! You have won the victory. Hallelujah! You have won it all for me.” As we sang it yesterday, I began to wonder, “How many Christians out there need a victory that has already been won for them?” Think about that for a minute. The victory many of us are looking for has already been won. Why do we still walk around defeated?
I see so many Christians who walk around with a defeated attitude. They aren’t walking in the victory that they are supposed to. Everything is doom and gloom. Nothing is going their way. They hang their head down and drudge along. They’ve allowed a culture of defeat to come reign in their life. That is not the life God intended Christians to live. That is not how someone who has had the war won for them should act.
Yes, we go through battles, trials and struggles. We aren’t going to be victorious in every one of them. We may even lose a lot in a row. Don’t confuse losing battles with losing the war. Battles are what we fight through to get to the end of the war. If you knew you were going to win the war in the end, wouldn’t you keep on fighting no matter how bad things looked now?
The person who has never lost a battle has not learned as much as those who have. It’s in our losses and failures that we find better ways to strategize and to grow. It’s in our losses that we get the determination to get back up. Proverbs 24:16 says, “The godly may fall seven times, but they will get up again.” It doesn’t say the godly won’t fall. We will. It’s part of life. It’s part of growth. Its part of what makes us who we are.
When I’m going through a time of multiple defeats, I hang on to Romans 8:37: Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours (mine) through Christ who loves us (me). I change it a little to personalize it. I make it my own promise from God. You should too. If you’re feeling defeated today, read that scripture again. Out loud. Proclaim it. Louder! Overwhelming victory is yours through Christ who loves you. You are not defeated. You are victorious in Jesus’ name.
You don’t have to walk around with your head down. You don’t have to keep your head down just because you’ve failed or lost a few battles. The war has already been won by Jesus. No matter how bad things get, keep that in mind. You can and will survive this and will be victorious in the end. Walk in victory today through Christ because He has won the victory for you. Hold your head up, child of God. You are victorious.
Click here to listen to that Planetshakers’ song on YouTube.
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Devotions by Chris Hendrix 
Your point about the person who has never lost a battle not being as rich in knowledge as those who have is poignant. I always refer to God’s words to Ananias about Saul upon his conversion: “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” But that is one great reason why Paul is who he is to us and in the kingdom today. Thanks for this reminder. (And I too love that song by Planetshakers!)
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Thanks for reminding me of that with Paul. When we read his epistles, we forget how many years in prison he spent, how many stripes he took and how many set backs he faced. The Christian life isn’t an easy road where we always win. It’s full of dark days and disappointments. It’s knowing we’re going to overcome in the end that gives us strength to endure.
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Victory has only been won for those “in Christ”. Christ spoke of the need to “remain” in him. (Jn 15) Those who don’t will be pruned out. He said, “If you remain in me…” (Jn 15:7) implying that a confessor may not. Paul also spoke of the “wrath” of God to which the confessor is still subject following his or her justification (Rom 5:9-10) and which can be avoided through the Lord’s life (the Holy Spirit- 2 Cor 3:17, 18). The Lord stated “that everything that causes sin and all who do evil” (Mt 13:41) would be weeded from his kingdom.
The victory that has been won was for Christ and those who “remain” in him. His victory gave him the keys of death and Hades allowing him to determine the fate of all humankind.
It is easy to accept that confessors have been given final victory and certainly we would all like to accept that as truth, but it is not biblical. It is God’s provision of his Spirit that indwells the obedient (Heb 5:9) confessor (believer) who gives believer’s strength to endure and to be victorious.
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