Living Undefeated – The Victory is Ours!

{ April 18, 2015 @ 1:49 pm } · { Uncategorized }

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ~ Romans 8:37

This is one of the most powerful promises in the Bible, yet so many Christians today are living a completely defeated life.  Why? I think the answer to that question can be found earlier in chapter 8 of Romans.  Let’s look at verses 5-8:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

It really breaks my heart to see Christians living a life that says, “I’m a sinner, always have been, always will be – just the way I am”.  God’s Word clearly states otherwise.  Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 5:17:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.

Now, let’s look at Romans 6:5-7:

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 (rendered inoperable!), that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed (cleared) from sin.

Reading these verses, and meditating on them, letting them re-adjust our mindset, and change our thought patterns from “I will always sin” to “I am not a slave to sin”, is the key to living a fruitful, victorious Christian life.

Think about this for a minute:

You are someone who – both through circumstances beyond your control, and through poor choices made – find yourself living on the street. (Please don’t think that I’m saying that all who are on the street chose to be there!  Just an analogy for being born into sin (circumstances we cannot control) and sin that we take part in my choice (consequences for choices).)

Now, one day, someone comes to you and says, “I want to give you a better life! Accept this gift of unlimited wealth (literally never ending!), and use it to change your life.”

Would you just say, “No, thank you, I’m just a poor victim of my circumstances, and I think I’ll just stay here.”?  I don’t think so!

Would you take the money and buy a new home, clean yourself up, and then return to the streets every night?  I don’t think so.

Would you say, “I’m just going to end up back on the street anyway, so I may as well just go back there.” ?  Again, I think not.

As ridiculous as those examples are – those very actions are performed by Christians every day of their lives.

Why, when we have an endless supply of God’s strength in us to live as He’s called us to live, do we insist on lowering ourselves to our previous sin-saturated lives.

Christians are saved by grace, through faith, dead to self, dead to sin, but alive to live a holy, God-honoring life, through the power of His righteousness.  I think it’s high time that we started living like the King’s kids that we are.  It’s time for us to stop dragging His precious name through the mud by living a life that fails to show His power, His love, His mercy, and His grace, as well as His ability to make us into new people – dead to sin.