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Our Victory
January 29, 2022

In life, we all have our challenges and struggles that we find ourselves fighting against. In the end, we are promised victory. Our victory is guaranteed. However, we are not promised to be kept from challenges and struggles in life. Similarly, the children of Israel were promised victory in their battles against their enemies and yet would be expected to participate in the fight. God told the children of Israel to not be dismayed when encountering a better equipped or larger army, because God is with His people, and God will go into battle with us, and fight for us to save us from our enemies.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4
When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

There were conditions to God’s promise of victory and it was based on doing what God told them to do. Under the direction of Joshua, when the children of Israel came to Jericho, they were given specific actions that they needed to take for victory. After the city was under siege where people could not enter or leave the city, the army and seven priests were to march around the city wall one time for six consecutive days. On the seventh day, and we can’t tell from the verses if this seventh day was the Sabbath or not, the armies and seven priests were to walk around the city seven times. The ark of the covenant was included in this procession. On this seventh day, the priests were to play the trumpets, and when the priests held a long note during the seventh trek around the city, all of the people were to shout. The walls would fall down, and everyone was to enter the city right where they were. All but Rahab and her family were to die.

Joshua 6:1-21
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord : they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

David was a man after God’s own heart and fought for Israel. He’s well-known for slaying Goliath, and throughout his lifetime fought battles with internal and external enemies. When David did was God told him to do, David was victorious. We have a record of some of his victories in first Chronicles.

1 Chronicles 18:1-7
Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts. And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. Then David put garrisons in Syria–damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

Whether it was the children of Israel marching around the walls of Jericho, or the many different battles of David, or our own challenges and struggles today, victory comes through faith. If we do not believe we will be victorious, we will be defeated. We must believe in our eventual victory through faith even though what we see with our own eyes, hear with our own ears, or feel with our own fingers may seem beyond belief. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1-2
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Hebrews eleven then provides a long listing of how the elders through faith obtained a good report, including how by faith the walls of Jericho came down after being marched around for seven days, and how Rahab did not die in that battle. David, the prophets, and judges are mentioned as well.

Hebrews 11:30-34
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Through faith, by doing what we are told to do, victory is delivered to us by Jesus Christ and God the Father, and this type of delivery is guaranteed, unlike if you order delivery from your favorite restaurant. Hopefully your food arrives as ordered. There is always a chance with restaurant delivery that a mistake will be made in your order. With God and Jesus Christ when it comes to the victories in our life, there will be no mistakes made by Them. Faith is more than just belief. If we have faith, we will do what God tells us to do, just like Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. If we believe and do not do what God tells us to do, that makes us no different than the demons and Satan.

James 2:19-22
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

John writes of how it is our faith that overcomes this world. It is our faith that gives us victory over this world. John also writes how our faith must be grounded in a love for the children of God, others who are called by God, and a love for God, which is defined as keeping the commandments of God.

1 John 5:1-4
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

While it is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which makes eternal life possible for us, it is through God the Father this is all possible. It is God the Father Who allows us to be triumphant in Jesus Christ. As children of God who are called according to God’s purpose, we will have victory. We will triumph. We triumph not by corrupting the word of God which many have done. We triumph through sincerity in the word of God knowing all that we do is done with God knowing what we do.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

To the Romans Paul writes that our love is to be sincere and without evil, not repaying evil with evil, but repaying evil with good, thus overcoming evil by doing good.

Romans 12:9-21
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

In all of the battles, challenges, and struggles in our life we will face, we do not enter unprepared. Even David when fighting Goliath did not enter that battle unprepared. David was advised of the availability of armor and weaponry that he could use. David opted to wear clothes and use weapons with which he was more familiar. David was prepared for his battle against Goliath and through faith, defeated Goliath. Similarly, in whatever situations we face in life, we must prepare as best we can for these situations. Preparing for the future and having faith are not necessarily contradictory elements in our life. It is when we actively prepare for future situations knowing victory will be given to us by God through Jesus Christ that we are at our strongest.

Proverbs 21:31
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.

Preparing for the future never means we trust in our preparations and ignore God the Father. Should we ever plan for the future and ignore God, it is then that our preparations have become contradictory to faith. Having faith does not mean we will initially succeed in each situation in life. If we act in faith and do not meet initial success, we do not give up. We try another way. We never surrender to the difficulties of life, because when we surrender to this world around us, we have failed to overcome this world and have instead been overcome by this world. It is when we give up, we are defeated. God thinks of us as the righteous and Proverbs tells us a righteous person gets up after falling down and continues. It is the wicked who give up.

Proverbs 24:15-20
Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

David was a man after God’s own heart who found himself in many battles. David recognized that when God’s people did not do what God had told them to do, God would not provide the victory. Yet, it was the same God who by showing His people the hard ways of life, that victory with God will happen. It is God Who does valiantly for His people and Who stomps all over the enemies of His people.

Psalm 60:1-12
O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

David wrote using this theme in other psalms almost repeating word for word showing how God’s mercy and promise of deliverance and victory reached the highest clouds. With David it did not matter who the enemies were. David knew God would provide victory. We must walk with that same confidence today in our life.

Psalm 108:1-13
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

The Book of Revelation is not only a book of prophecy regarding the end time and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, it provides a prophetic backwards look on how the people of God achieve victory. When we overcome we have victory, and when we are overcome we are defeated. In Revelation, we are told of a war in heaven fought primarily between Michael and the angels against Satan and the demons, and we are told that Satan and the demons lose that fight and are cast out of heaven. We do not know when this war occurs, or if it may have already occurred. We know as a consequence that Satan, the accuser of the brethren, and the demons who deceived the whole world are cast to the earth at a time when the salvation of Jesus is announced. It is then we are told how the brethren have victory over these accusations and over Satan and the demons. The brethren overcome Satan and the demons by the blood of Jesus, the sacrifice and resurrection that happened thousands of years ago that gives us the opportunity for eternal life. The brethren also overcome Satan and the demons by the word of their testimony, meaning by what they say and do that countermands the accusations of Satan. They also were willing to die for the faith than to surrender their faith for physical life. It is when Satan is cast to the earth that extreme hardships will occur, because Satan knows he has but a short time.

Revelation 12:7-12
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Just like God would fight for the children of Israel in battles, and the children of Israel still needed to fight in battles, God through the blood of Jesus Christ fights these accusations from Satan on our behalf. Just like the children of Israel, we too are not removed from the battle for spiritual control of our mind which we fight by living in this world, but through faith we know victory is ours.

When we endure temptation and receive the crown of life, this is by faith, just like the fathers of the old testament lived by faith during their victories. When we think of temptation we can think of sin, being tempted by this sin or that sin. We can also think of temptation as being confronted with a choice to be overcome by this world by quitting on the faith that we have been given. Through life we will all face individual challenges by sin that is brought about by temptation that originates in our minds.

James 1:12-18
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

The greatest threat to our salvation is not a sin for which we can be forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ, but a sin for which there is no pathway for forgiveness, what is commonly referred to as the unpardonable sin. Jesus spoke of the unpardonable sin as recorded in several different passages in the gospels. We’ll read the account from Matthew.

Matthew 12:31-32
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Sometimes when people hear about the unpardonable sin they worry if they might have committed the unpardonable sin. Think about the unpardonable sin from the perspective of a military battle because we are fighting a spiritual battle. The armies of the Holy Spirit are fighting against the armies of the unholy spirit. A person commits the unpardonable sin when they act in a treasonous way. These people make a choice to switch sides and fight for that other side. It is when you give up on the army of the Holy Spirit, it is when you surrender to the enemy to fight for the enemy as part of the army of the unholy spirit that you commit the unpardonable sin. Aside from this, all manner of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people. That’s what Jesus said. One can even discount the importance of Jesus Christ in our salvation, and that will be forgiven us. Fighting for the armies of the unholy spirit will not be forgiven us. In the spiritual battle we are all part of, we fight to the end for the armies of the Holy Spirit. We never switch sides and fight for the other army.

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that the battle we face is not a physical battle but a spiritual battle. We cannot confuse the physical existence which we live with the type of battle we continually face. How we fight is not physically, but spiritually. This means we never ever resort to tactics that bring physical harm to another person or another person’s property. Our battles are spiritual and not physical. Our battles are fought in our mind where the Holy Spirit intersects with our thoughts and the organic nature of our brain. It is in our thoughts and the mature control of our mind that comes through the fruit of the Holy Spirit that God pivots that spiritual battlefield to favor the army of the Holy Spirit in defeat of the army of the unholy spirit.

2 Corinthians 10:1-6
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Paul reminded Timothy of the need to stir up the gift of God, the gift of the Holy Spirit. In any army there is no place for cowardice, and the same is true for the army of the Holy Spirit. We do not fight our spiritual battles from a place of fear, but from a place of power knowing victory is assured us. We fight spiritual battles from a place of love knowing that God is love. We fight spiritual battles determining victory using sound thinking.

2 Timothy 1:6-7
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

At times, it might seem like we are fighting our battles alone, just like David fought Goliath. Others quickly joined in that battle. Whatever situations we might be facing in life, others also face the same types of situations. While it might appear we are fighting our spiritual battles alone, the reality is the battlefield is scattered across planet earth, and we are all part of the same fight.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that death would be defeated, that it would be swallowed up in victory. No matter how hard the spiritual battle may seem, we never act in treason and choose to fight for the army of the unholy spirit. We remain loyal to the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and Jesus Christ, and our victory is guaranteed. In the end we will win and we will not only be part of defeating Satan and the demons, we will defeat death at the last trumpet. We will be victorious.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

In writing to the Ephesians Paul told them how to be spiritually equipped to fight their spiritual battles. In his battle with Goliath, David chose to ignore traditional armored clothing and weapons choosing to use clothes and weapons he was familiar with. Our spiritual arsenal includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Holy Spirit, and to use these weapons not from a position of arrogant pride, but prayerful requests to God who will give us victory.

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

It is when we like Paul fight the good fight, endure to the end in all spiritual battles and keep the faith that we too will have a crown of righteousness laid up for us, not maybe, not possibly, but will, with a guaranteed action with no room for false humility, have a crown of righteousness laid up for us as we have victory.

2 Timothy 4:6-8
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

God promised victory to the children of Israel and promises victory for us today. As we fight each and every spiritual battle today, when we do what God tells us to do and when we endure to the end, we will have victory. We will have eternal life. We will be given a crown of righteousness when Jesus Christ returns.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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