A Life of Victory

Would you like to overcome temptation and other challenges that come against you in your walk with the Lord? If so, I believe God wants to use this article to give you direction in how to live a life of victory.

Romans 6:5-6- "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."
The "old man" mentioned here refers to our old nature. Every person who has not been born again has a natural tendency to disobey God that was inherited from Adam and Eve (due to their disobedience in the garden of Eden). This nature that is "bent" against God's ways is said here to have been crucified with Christ. When Jesus died on the cross as our substitute our old nature was put to death. Galatians 5:24 says, "And those who are Christ's have [past tense] crucified the flesh [the "old man' in Romans 6:6] with its passions and desires." As I said before the old "sin nature" of man was put to death at the cross when Jesus died as our substitute, and when we believe in Him His victory becomes our victory. Through Jesus we are overcomers at this moment. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Because this old nature was done away with at the cross my life can now be an expression of the life of Jesus, revealing Him to everyone I meet. When I think about this I am greatly encouraged, but I also find that there are things in my life that don't yet line up with this truth. If you see the same thing in your own life I would like to share some of what God has shown me in His word that will help you walk in victory.

Romans 6:11: "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Here we are told to "reckon ourselves" to be dead to sin. This means we are to believe that we are already free from sin and that everything in our lives that is against God's will has already been put to death. We may experience temptation, we may seem to be struggling but Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil and we are to accept this as true. When Jesus said "It is finished" (John 19:30) He was telling the truth. When we believe this we will experience victory regardless of what we are faced with.

Romans 6:12-13- "Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in it's lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." Because we have already been set free from sin by the blood of Jesus we can say, "no" when temptation comes. In James 4:7 we are told: "Therefore submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." Romans 5:17 tells us that through Jesus we can "reign in life." Are you beginning to see how this is possible because of what Jesus did at the cross? A life of victory is a life surrendered to Jesus, and at the cross every hindrance to living this life of victory was defeated.

John 8:31-32- "Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.' " To abide in the Lord's word means to continuously study, believe, and submit to His word. God has given us His word that contains the truth that will set us free. 1Thessalonians 2:13 tells us that God's word works in those who believe it. So believe God's word, keep believing God's word, and watch God use His word to set you free!

Galatians 5:16-18- "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law." To "walk in the Spirit" means to follow the Spirit's leading (do what the Holy Spirit leads you to do). This speaks of a lifestyle of following the leading of the Holy Spirit. I find it interesting to see in this verse how the Holy Spirit leads us away from sin when we are led by Him. If we learn to recognize when the Holy Spirit is speaking we will have taken a big step toward living a life of victory.

At the cross Jesus destroyed every work of the enemy and has totally set us free. Now we can live a life of victory and let Him use our lives to show the world who He is. it is my prayer that all who read this will find themselves experiencing greater freedom in their lives.