SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1317

“Victory”

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Victory is defined as the achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties. We have all experienced a victory in our life at one time or another and it is a great feeling.

There is one victory however that we cannot achieve on our own. The odds are infinitely stacked against us and nothing – absolutely nothing – we can do is sufficient to be victorious. Forgiveness of our sin, Eternal life, Salvation, this is the ultimate victory in life, and it is only achieved through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

Sin is an ever-present reality in life this side of heaven. The power of sin is the Law. For example: if there were no speed limit laws, one could travel at whatever speed one desires and there would be no transgression. When the law is present: ‘Speed Limit 55’ – sin has power over us as we are tempted to travel faster and break the law.

The Ten Commandments summarize God’s Law and because of our sin nature we are all law breakers and deserving of God’s wrath: the wages of sin.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:20-21

Consider the reasoning behind our government removing the Ten Commandments from public places. It is a feeble attempt by Satan to remove the power of sin by removing the Law. It is an attempt to pave the way for freedom to sin without consequence. But God, who created us in His image, has put His moral law in our hearts and minds so all mankind is without excuse for their sin. The power of sin cannot be removed apart from Jesus Christ.

I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God; They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness… – Hebrews 8:10; Romans 2:15

We all need deliverance from the sting of spiritual death and eternal damnation. We cannot be victorious over it on our own. We need Jesus.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! … – Romans 7:15-25

We can live a victorious life today over the law of sin and death through Him.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:1-4

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. – Colossians 2:13-15

We can live an overcoming life this side of Heaven through faith in Jesus. Accept His free gift of salvation and be born again by the Spirit of God.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? – 1 John 5:4-5

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world; For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. – 1 John 4:4; Romans 6:14

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires; Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – Galatians 5:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17

Victory through Jesus!