Walking In Victory

Walking In Victory written by Suffragan Bishop Charles Trumbo, Pastor

What is victory for the believer?  Victory is defined as the defeat of an enemy in combat or war.  It is success in any contest or struggle.  You may think that after you are saved, your battles are over.  But that is not the case.

Your enemies are now the world, the flesh and the devil.

God did not save us to live our lives in defeat and discouragement.  Paul declares in Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”  That means we are walking in victory.  But in order to be conquerors, we have to win some battles.  We  have to fight some enemies.

Overcoming the World

In order to walk in victory, one of the enemies we have to overcome is the world.  All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. (I John 2:16)  The struggle is between loving God and loving the world.  Jesus said no man can serve two masters.  He will either hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.  Mammon is riches. And riches enable you to love what the world has to offer.

         1.  The rich young ruler could not overcome the world because he       loved his riches more than eternal live. (Matt. 19:16-26)

         2. The prosperous farmer loved his riches more than God. (Luke                  12:15-21)

         3. The Pharisees could not overcome the world because they loved      the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:43)

         4.  Demas left the faith because he loved the present world. (II Tim.     4:10)

         5.  Those that are lovers of pleasures more that lovers of God will not overcome the world.

The Victory that overcomes the World

If we are born of God, our faith overcomes the world.  (I John 5:4)

The just shall live by faith.  We will overcome the world if we walk by faith

like Enoch.  Enoch had a testimony that he pleased God.  If we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfull the lusts of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) 

Moses overcame the world by faith.  (Hebrews 11:24-27) He could have had all the riches of Egypt as the next Pharaoh.  But he chose to walk in victory.

By faith in God he overcame the attraction of the world.  He knew Christ had greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.  We have to know that Christ has greater riches for us than anything this world has to offer.  God has a mansion prepared for us. (John 14:1-3)

The Flesh is an enemy

The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If we practice sin or the works of the flesh we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The works of the flesh are listed in Galatians 5:19-21, and also in I Corinthian 6:9-11.  When we are filled with the Spirit of God there is a battle that goes on within us, the Spirit against the flesh.

These are contrary the one to the other.  Paul describes the battle between the Spirit and the flesh in Romans 7:14-25.

Victory over the flesh

In order to get victory over the flesh, we have to walk in the Spirit.  The carnal mind is enmity against God.  It hates God.  Therefore, we have to have a spiritual mind.  Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2b) 

If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) Walking in the Spirit is manifesting the fruit of the Spirit:

Love

      Joy

          Peace

               Longsuffering

                          Gentleness

                                  Goodness

                                          Faith

                                             Meekness

                                                                         Temperance.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Then we are Walking in Victory.     

TheDevil is an enemy

The devil is a murderer and a liar. (John 8:44) The devil is the tempter.  He tempted Jesus. (Matt. 4:1-11)  He put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. (John 13:2) Satan put it in the heart of Ananias to lie to the Holy Ghost. (Acts 5:3)  The devil seeks to devour us. (I Peter 5:8) Satan can be a thorn in the flesh. (II Cor. 12:7; Job 2:7)

Overcoming the Devil

When the devil is tempting us we have to overcome him like Jesus overcame him.  We have to resist by using the Word of God.  And if we resist him he will flee from us. (James 4:7) We have to resist the devil when we get angry. That’s when the devil will tempt us to fight back and get even.  Resist him because the Word says “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

If the devil gives you a thorn in the flesh, remember that God’s grace is sufficient.  You can still walk in victory. 

Finally, we must put on the whole armour of God to be able to overcome the devil. (Ephesians 6:11-18)

When we overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, we are WALKING IN VICTORY.