The life of a Christian is one that can be difficult and full of struggles, whether those are the struggles of this material life, or struggles regarding sin and living faithfully for God. As Christians, we should be aware of this reality. Jesus teaches His disciples that those who follow Him will face persecution because of their devotion to Him,
“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ if they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20.
Unfortunately, many Christians can become bogged down with this reality. They feel the constant pressures from the world, and they begin to think that the life of a Christian is simply one of losing. Losing to sin, losing to the world, facing tribulation and trial day in and day out. If you are waiting for me to say that the life of a Christian won’t actually be hard, I’m sorry to disappoint. But what I can say is that this view of tribulation, hardship, and losing is only half of the story. With almost every passage that tells of the battles that Christians will face, there is a passage that also tells of how Christians have victory through Jesus. Shortly after Jesus spoke the words of John 15:20, He concluded His discourse on the world’s rejection of Him and His disciples with John 16:33,
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
More powerful than the truth of the world’s opposition to us is the truth of God and Jesus’ support for us. Jesus says that He has already overcome the world. The battle is already won, and victory is ours to have. We just need to remember it.
The victories that God has given us outweigh the losses that we face by an immeasurable amount. We sin, and then we seek forgiveness from God with a repentant heart and God forgives us. Praise be to God!!! We have just seen another victory granted to us by God, and it’s a victory that overcomes the previous loss! We face a temptation, and through God’s help (a way of escape) we avoid sin and escape a snare of the devil. That is a victory too! Our lives are not simply ones of losing. God gives us victories every single day.
Because of God and His power and His love for us, Christians have an identity not of losing or of despair, but of overwhelming victory!
“35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who saved us.” Romans 8:35-37
We are conquerors in this life on earth, but to an even greater extent, we are conquerors in the life that we have to come. We have this assurance because of the God whom we follow. He is the one who created all things, the one who sustains life. God is the ruler of all, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All of our victories come from God, and we need to remember that as we walk the Christian walk. We are more than conquerors, yes, but we should not be prideful in ourselves because of that. All glory and praise should go to Him who has delivered us.
“12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:12-14