LIVING A VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE

The idea of living in victory may seem a little strange and far-fetched to some people, but it certainly is biblical. I John 5:4 says “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ”

I think, first, we need to understand what victory is. Victory is not shouting, singing and dancing, jumping up and down-being Pentecostal. Though these are good in their place, they are not victory. Victory is living a life that is pleasing to God; it is defeating the enemies- sin, doubt, discouragement, and old habits. It is overcoming the obstacles that lie before us.

One must first decide that they want victory in their lives. You have to get tired of living in defeat. You have to get tired of sin before you will ever decide to overcome it. If we are not totally tired of our situation, we will never find enough energy or reason to change it. Therefore, it is first a decision of one’s will – to overcome that obstacle.

Then we must realize that the discourager will be at work. Satan and his workers are always out to discourage anyone that would overcome any of his works. We must be persistent in our efforts. Never, never give up! Also realize, if we are striving for godliness in our life, then God is for us and He will supply us with the strength and the power that it takes to overcome.

Faith is the key to power to overcome obstacles. It is also essential to please God. Hebrews tells us “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”.
Our faith must be in Christ. Just to have faith, or to have faith in our faith will not help.
Simply knowing his presence in our life gives us the strength we need. Many times we fail, just because we forget that He is with us. Jesus said, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” If we remember in the times of temptation, or anger, that Jesus is right there with us, it would certainly change our actions.

The next time you are faced with an obstacle – turn to Christ and remember His presence, and you can overcome- by the strength that He supplies.

Have You Counted The Cost?

Before we make any major purchases in life, we always want to know how much does it cost. How much is the initial cost and how much will it cost for maintenance? And what will the insurance costs be? Oh, if we would but use the same type of thinking in the spiritual realm, we would have a much deeper relationship with God!
We realize there is a cost of sin, but how often do we really stop to count that cost? The tempter often makes sin look very appealing. He lies about the price of it and entices us to partake. In the account of the first sin with Adam and Eve, the Bible says: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6). Yes it was very pleasant and the tempter lied about the price. He said “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die” Gen 3:4
Now we can easily see the horror of that sin and how far we have come down the road of sin and wickedness. Think of all the evil that has come to pass since Adam and Eve. I think if they had realized the cost of their sin, it would not have been nearly as appealing.
We can apply that same thing to our own personal life. When we face temptations, stop and count the cost. How will this affect my life, and how will it affect my loved ones? Often the cost goes much deeper than we realize. If we will just remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, and how he suffered and died for those sins, it will help us to gain an advantage on the tempter.