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Victor or Victim?
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 NASB)
"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD; and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17 NASB)
“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.” (Revelation 12:11 NASB)
INTRODUCTION
Today, wars are going on all over the earth, but there is another war that predates all wars and even time itself. It is the war between the armies of heaven and the armies of hell. Many times we are caught in the cross fire and at times even held hostage or used as pawns by the enemy.
This enemy uses lies, deception and false accusation to distract and discourage us from fulfilling our God-given purpose and destiny.
We sometimes think that our enemy is our co-worker, boss, spouse, neighbor or even political leaders. This thinking is not unique to us, for Paul, by the Holy Spirit, found it necessary to correct the church at Ephesus of this misconception. In Ephesians 6:12 * cited above, Paul stated that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Our adversaries are not those clothed with skin. This passage continues by saying that our true adversaries are the spiritual entities of darkness who use humans and even events to b ring us trouble. Revelations 12:10 calls the leader of those demonic forces “the accuser of the brethren.” Th ose humans who are being used by these forces to bring trouble are the real victims. Maybe this is why Jesus said to pray for our enemies.
THE DIVINE STRATEGY
Christ has given us victory over demonic adversaries. 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that we have been given weapons which enable us to be victorious in the battle. These weapons are not fleshly, but they are mighty enough to tear down strongholds or fortresses. If they are not fleshly weapons, then they must be spiritual weapons.
Note the contrast is between “fleshly” and “might.” It is implied that fleshly weapons are weak and ineffective in the spiritual battles we face. We have been given weapons that are not bound by the limitations of our flesh and which have the ability to bring victory where it is needed – in the spiritual realm. The nature of these weapons is revealed in Isaiah 54:17 and Revelations 12:11 cited above.
Our promised inheritance is to have victory over demonic forces. Revelation 12:ll says that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb. The blood has made it possible for us to be delivered out of the domain of darkness into His kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). Once we place our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we are placed in His family and come under His covering. We are then given spiritual weapons. Instead, David rehearsed how God was faithful to give him victory over the foes of his past (the lion and the bear).
The next powerful weapon that God has given us is the words of faith or faith-filled words. Isaiah 54:17, Mark 11:24. and Isaiah 54:11 state that no weapon that is formed or forged against us will prosper or succeed. The Scriptures then describe the weapon that is formed against us as words that come against us in judgment. Remember our adversary is the accuser of the brethren. Here it describes the battleground as being a war of words. We are also told what our counter weapon is. Isaiah 54:17 reads, “Every word that rises up against you in judgment, YOU will condemn.” [Emphasis mine.] God has given us the authority to condemn the words of the adversary. That same verse says that this is our heritage or inheritance which is backed up with God’s power.
David also demonstrates the power of God-inspired words as he declares that God is going to give him victory over Goliath. As David declares his victory, the only thing he says about Goliath is that he is an “uncircumcised Philistine.” Circumcision was a sign of Israel’s covenant with God. So, David was, in essence, saying that his victory was assured because he was under covenant with God and Goliath was not.
By the blood of Christ, we have been brought into covenant with God. 1 Peter 2:10 says that we who once were not a people have been made a people (under covenant) by the blood of Christ. “If God be for us who can be against us.” (Romans 8:31 ) We must speak what we desire to see happen rather than dwelling on what IS happening because God is our protector, provider and defender.
A third weapon that is at our disposal is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17 calls it the sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts beyond the flesh into the realm of the soul and spirit. Jesus demonstrated the power of Scripture in His encounter with Satan in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). Satan sought to deceive Him with words, but Jesus countered Satan’s words with the Word of God. When we are facing a trial, we must declare what God says about the situation. In doing so, we are aligning ourselves with God, thus assuring our victory.
CONCLUSION
In any situation, we are not the victims but rather are the victors. Romans 8:37 (NASB) states that “we overwhelmingly conquer through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Let’s pray.
PRAYER
“Lord Jesus, thank you for positioning me for victory. I confess that I have lived below my promised inheritance and tried to manage my trials in my own strength. Thank you for forgiving me. I ask you now to help me see my situations as You see them and to align my words with Yours. Let me proclaim what you say about the situation. You are my deliverer. Thank you for always being with me and giving me the victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
* Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture references are from the NASB version.
Copyright © 2008-2015 Shermaine Jones
Reader Comments...
| 2010-10-04 22:46:45 "Right on! Thank you for the encouragement!" - Decie |
| 2010-02-03 09:42:36 "As always, this article is insightful and timely. As we battle through these tough economic times, we must never forget the "Divine Strategy" and the fact that we are always victorious and that we "overwhelmingly conquer". I love that! I love you too Ms Shermaine! God bless you! Awesome!" - Regina |
| 2010-02-02 17:53:24 "Very timely as I am studying the promises of our Heavenly Father. In many situations I have tried to handle them myself; forgetting that the battle is not mine. GOD bless you all!" - Dorina |
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