Victory!!!

I had a thought last night while cooking supper. I was thinking about the sermons concerning Job about how God had placed a hedge of protection around him and then they try to compare him to us today. Often believers today believe that some saints in the OT had it better than us. Many feel vulnerable to Satan's attacks and that there is no hedge about them.

I realized how such a sermon about Job and comparing his hedge of divine protection to us is flawed to a large degree. We have a much better hedge of protection today than Job could ever have dreamed of. Job had a hedge about him and yet we are in Christ!! We are hidden in Him!! The devil complained to God about the hedge that He had about Job, but I think it is safe to say that the devil is kicking and screaming today about us because we now have a seat in the heavenly places and now are in a position that he can't even get close too.

The devil is a defeated foe and Christ has shamed them openly:

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15)

Too many Christians please the devil by believing that he is defeated by Christ but now it is their turn to defeat him too. No, we are to resist him (James 4:7) and give him "no place" (Ephesians 4:27) and not defeat him. We cannot defeat the devil anyways by any carnal endeavors on our part as we will have to consciously apply the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10). If you are a defeated Christian then the devil did not do it but you simply failed in rightly applying yourself to God's word. You are in Christ the victorious One and you share in that victory. You have all things in Christs as we have been blessed with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places. How can a defeated foe defeat you unless you let him convince you that he did?

Too many believers worry about what the devil might do to them. They give him much attention. If you study Scripture then please notice that very little attention is given to him. You will have one or two verses in most passages in the New Testament that deal with him. Yet Christians spend countless hours worrying about someone that has no claims on us whatsoever. We are commanded not to be ignorant of his devices (2nd Corinthians 2:11) so that he does not get advantage of us. Knowing your position in Christ and the devils defeated position is one way to keep him from getting advantage over us.

In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul gives us the basics in spiritual warfare. I am not going to go through each of the verses expounding on them but wanted to stay focused on the fact that he has been defeated. Certainly if you doubt your salvation or lack faith then you are vulnerable to attack. Ever notice that carnal believers are often those that do not have a good handle on God's word? They might have been saved for a while but cannot even define simple things in God's word. They are no better today than when they first trusted Christ. I always believed that knowledge is power and people should have their nose in the Book.

I believe Christians that do not spend time in prayer and Bible reading can be equated to the king Adoni-bezek in the OT that had his thumbs and great toes cut off (see Judges chapter one). Lack of faith and biblical understand can cause one to go into spiritual battle with missing thumbs and their great toes as well spiritually speaking. You cannot hold a sword very well if your thumbs have been cut off. I took Filipino martial arts and was taught to grab the meat of the thumb of a person holding a knife as then you can easily disarm them of that knife. How can any believer expect to fight or grow without a grip on God's word? The loss of the large toe would affect balance and certainly one that lacks a good understanding of God's word can easily be knocked down and carried about by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). The sword of the Lord is God's word and you must have a firm grip or defeat is almost certain.

An improper understanding of God's word, His grace and having a lack of assurance of salvation can certainly destroy you. I've seen so many gung-ho Christians that can never get the victory as they believe that victory somehow depends on them. These are often the same people that go forward week after week in the un-Scriptural use of an alter call to rededicate their lives to Christ. They tend to mix law and grace as one will try to mix oil and water but can never seem to learn that the two can never be mixed. Our victory or defeat is all tied to this realization of who we are in Christ. It is imperative that we have a proper handle on God's word if we ever expect to be victorious in our Christian walk. Standing upon the Rock that never moves and having a firm grip of God's word is crucial to victory. So be vigilant as commanded as the devil goes about seeking whom he may devour (1st Peter 5:8).

I strayed slightly from topic but the problems we experience are often related to what we believe. If you do not see the devil as a defeated foe then you will live in constant worry striving to overcome him in the power of your flesh. You will be praying to God for victory when you already have the victory in Christ. One must realize the victory that we believers already have in Christ. Just remember, you have it better than Job did as you belong to Christ as well as the Father and none can snatch us out of His hand. Nothing can separate us from His love. We are the temple of God indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has baptized (placed) us into Christ as we are now part of His body. Satan is a defeated foe and he can do nothing to us that are in Christ. He is the accuser of the brethren and our adversary but a defeated one. The devil reminds me of Al Gore that lost to George Bush for presidency but kept demanding a recount of votes unwilling to concede. The devil is not willing to concede but will fight tooth and nail in a desperate and vain attempt to reclaim something that he lost. He will certainly want you to believe that he does have power over you and will seek to make you a slave to him. He wants you to believe that he isn't defeated but you have been mistaken. Stand firm on the blessed truths of God's word of who you are in Christ and resisting him will cause him to flee!!