Victors Or Vanquished ?
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1Co:15:55
As children of the most high God through Jesus, we seem to have more enemies than friends today; More than the average person. We should have a "healthy", Scriptural awareness of this: And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. Lu:21:17 We, as basic human beings, should also be aware of the enemy of Nature itself. When Adam and Eve rebelled, the earth was cursed. It became a dangerous in which to live. All creation was filled with a dark menacing purpose, out to get the new "exiles". Wild beasts, plagues, weather, even the plant life. Drop yourself into a jungle or rainforest and spend a few days on the ground. You would have but a taste of what it is really like to "survive" in a hostile yet deceptively beautiful environment. Some of us have "been" there. Nothing we can see on the ridiculous "Survivor" show cannot even come close. That is posing for the camera in the purest sense.
God's creation is indeed wondrous and beautiful however the signs, "Look But Don't Touch", are everywhere. Everything on this planet was designed by God to potentially kill us as a result of the "fall". The Garden was the exception. The Enemy had been give control over the curse and today we (humankind) reap the "benefits" of our inherited rebellion. To this we add the powers behind it all, legions of demons and contrary spirits inhabiting men and women, the Powers and Principalities (Eph 6:12), controlling all of the world's governments and institutions, public or private, controlling weak, blinded hearts and minds, fulfilling their leaders' wrathful command to ruin and kill. This is the so-called civilized world around us ...besides Nature, we now have Man himself, prideful, un-regenerate, greedy, hungry for power and dominance and we have the world we know and love today. And THIS is our 'perfect' world. The perfect world some of us yet hold dear to ourselves and a world of a dark, bloody master we yet have not yet come to hate (Lu:16:13). And we wonder why Father does not hear our prayers.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Ph'p:2:8
When the time of God's promise of a Savior came to fullness, into such an hostile environment came God's Messiah, Jesus, to be the last blood sacrifice, once and for all, that the penalty for sin be set aside for those God has called to Salvation, those who would hear the call and receive Faith by hearing the Word of God (Ro:10:17). The earth has not changed, men's hearts have not changed, the principalities have not changed. God's elect are called to become soldiers and overcomers (2Tm:2:31-Jo:5:4), victors, not the vanquished. His elect are CHANGED!
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1Jo:4:4
If we are in Christ, all who are not are firmly against us and their spirits know us. Tribulation is upon us every day in all aspects of our lives. No? Head in the sand? In the midst of the fiery darts, the physical, mental and spiritual oppression, are we conducting ourselves as victors? We have been called and equipped to be victorious over our enemy. Our power is in peace and love, contentment and humility before God. I needn't elaborate further. We know this. We speak of it when we're feeling pretty good on Sunday don't we. Are we living it? Talk is cheap. We have the same number of enemies as Jesus does. He came to save us from this lunacy we call life! Fear not! Let's take some comfort, strength and REALITY in Jesus' words:
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. M't:10:28
If the
world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. Joh:15:18
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not
of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you. Joh:15:19
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Lu:12:7
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Lu:12:32
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 1Jo:5:5
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Joh:16:33
Be strong in the Spirit, by the Faith given you.... When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace Lu:11:21 If we let the Enemy, through our enemies, get the best of us, it is because we have shed our armor and have become complacent and thus are weakened (compromise). The watches we post are sleeping on duty and we become prey. But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. Lu:11:22 The only way one stronger can come in and pillage us is because WE have let our guard down and we are not trusting in the total provision for our souls and lives by Father through the LIFE of Christ in us. Obedience to God! We cannot let anything slip! We are exhorted to be VIGILANT! (1Pe:5:8) Excuse me, this is war. I have sorely learned that we cannot take a break in the middle of the battle. Our calling is to battle in the Spirit as well as peace among men, and by tribulation and strife do we receive God's reward of eternal life. Warning: For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 2Pe:2:20 When we cave in to our desires, sleep on duty, and become complacent, we're headed for disaster.
Vanquished?!
If we decide our own course for our lives after the so-called surrender to God's will at our "conversion" and occupy ourselves with career, family, want for possessions or prominence, ...anything earthly, we stand to lose our eternal life, shipwreck our Faith (1Tm:1:19). Our victories are short term and short lived and amount to hills of ashes. They add only sand to our spiritual foundations and more stubble for the consuming Fire which will reveal our deeds in the end (1Co:3:13). We have decided to "save" our own lives. We are warned by Jesus of the consequences of living for ourselves in (M't:16:25). If we wisely decide to give up that selfish "noise" through self-denial (losing our lives) and follow the most persecuted Man in history, we "find" eternal life, the real Life that Jesus came to purchase for us! He's asking us to "lose" this life (lifestyle) and make our short time here count for the real prize, the treasure of His company and fellowship in the presence of God the Father forever! Our victories do not have root in the material life but in the spiritual realm!
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath,
he cannot be my disciple. Lu:14:33
Our enemies take on every conceivable form and "voice" and will not let up until the END! They know they have been defeated at the Cross. Do we? Let's start acting like victors instead of the vanquished come what may. Praise our God, give Him thanks at all times in whatever circumstance, provided we have the will to forsake ALL to follow His Son. We know the implication is priority concerning things of this World, however a hidden indictment lies in Luke 14:33! What is it that inhibits growth of spiritual character? What is it that causes a failure to trust and love Jesus completely? Here it comes, we're back at the bad root: P-R-I-D-E! And behold, rotten fruit!
Do you think Jesus ever let His guard down? Isn't He our example? Do not: curse, revile or damn anybody or thing (1Pe:3:9). The man or woman who relies on the carnal intellect and an unbridled tongue is the weakest excuse for a Child of God. The real Child of God follows the Master, Jesus' example of reliance, rest and trust in the plan of Father God. Even if Jesus could have called down fire from the sky or legions of Angels to give 'em what-for, He didn't! Jesus trusted in His Father's protection but even more importantly than that, GOD'S WILL. Father is ALL Jesus lived for. The truly victorious follower of Christ obeys Christ's commands:
M't:5:39: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
M't:5:44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
And just where do these words Jesus spoke to us lead to: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. M't:5:48 Perfect means complete and AT REST. There is the victory Saints! Your weapons are the Word and Truth. Spoken in Faith; Bringing down strongholds (2Co:10:4)! Our humble, admitted weakness and inability to create our own righteousness, our own victories, even take care of our own needs is a golden key to victory! 2Co:12:10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. Is anybody getting this? We are different saints! A peculiar people, chosen, sanctified, ...etc. etc. (1Pe:2:9) or has our "occasional" compromise caused our Light to be blended like a milkshake with the darkness we still dabble with. The Bible addresses the consequences of occasional sin. One road or the other! It is sad to say that most of our "victories" are predications, assumptions, based upon expediency! Our victories are convenient to ourselves. Think about that. It is not what we want, it is what God wants! God allows the testing, God gives the victories for His purpose and glory, not ours.
The wolves are indeed at the windows and even inside the walls. The Fire will consume our possessions! Treachery, deceit, sickness and death stalk us and tear us apart. The bank account has a leak somewhere! "Oh why can't "things" just go right for once in my life?" This is love, surrender, Faith, trust, self denial? "Things" went "right" for Jesus, all the way to a Cross. Excuse me, Jesus is the example we follow. Must I go on? The unconditional gift of salvation (grace) requires unconditional surrender, love and trust. In the natural world as well as the spiritual one, for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. Where is the victory in securing lands and possessions, comfort, status and position? Are we so arrogant as to believe we will ever enjoy the fruits of these things? And if we do, when they are expended, do we strive to get more? Is the parable of Jesus in Luke 12:16-21 a nursery rhyme? Or does it cause us to ponder just who and what God says we really are: puny specks of clay and water destined for death and Judgment. This is what is meant by digging deep! Search for the Truth, dwell on God's Word, chew on it! Know your true self by asking God to search you out. There is too little fear of the real God in the world and in the Church today Saints.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of
these little ones should perish. M't:18:14
And while we're crying and cursing and "pity-partying" away, the Master is hanging His head shedding His tears at the sight of His Sheep losing it over the mortgage, the job, the husband, wife and kids, and anything else you may dare to add. Does this please the God and Father of Jesus whom we profess to love and fear and TRUST? He will not lose one of us who have been given to Him by the Father but what kind of chastisement or severe rebuke must we suffer for taking our eyes off of the Master, for straying out of God's will for us? I can tell you that it does hurt. When you are His, you will be tested to the limits of your being and it will be God shaking the foundation to try you! This comes strait from the TOP and goes all the way to the root. Love Him! Remember His agony. Who would want to leave a realm of peace and safety like Heaven and come to live among a greedy, warlike race of men on a planet raped and defiled by sin to save those whom He would call to Salvation and freedom by being stripped of everything Kingly He was and killed in the most terrible manner? ...I wouldn't! But He did! Halleluiah! Thank you Jesus! The only enemy I don't want to have is the Son of God. Bring the rest on into the open and let's have at it.
Bottom Line:
The key to victory, to overcoming ourselves, lies in the Power of Christ. The power of Christ is given to those who unconditionally surrender to God's will upon hearing His Word. The force behind our own surrender is Love. If our love of Jesus is not genuine, there is no Christianity for us, no Church, no victory, no Salvation. Our empty gesturing becomes a front, an excuse, another addition to an already burdensome facade. And for the sake of what; comfort, acceptance, recognition, profit? Then we really are vanquished. And we've just come full circle. Remember this: Those who trusted in their "chariots" (their own strength) ended up at the bottom of the sea (Ex:14:28). Take no thought for your own lives, Matt 6:25, TRUST God alone!
May our courage and victory be that of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. May we follow in the footsteps of Jesus along our narrow way, in the mighty light of His Humility and Lordship. May we love nothing of this World. God's grace, mercy and peace be upon us all in the increasing darkness of these perilous days. Awaken to the sound of the trumpet on the Wall. There is Thunder on the Mountain. Get those shields up. This is no drill. Keep to the Road, Saints.
Amen.
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1Jo:3:18