Victory is defined as an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition; achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties. Whenever you watch any kind of contest, be it sports, debates, or elections, there will be a winner and a loser(s). A victory is a win and the opposite of victory is defeat. If you have ever won anything, that is a victory.
We were created to be victors. But we are allowing Satan to steal our joy. Everyday our joy is being taken away, because of bad news, the economy, finances, divorce, foreclosures, etc. Things are happening that seemingly we have no control of. Times like these will cripple your faith if you are not grounded, and will determine whether you will become a victim or victor. The Bible reminds us over and over again that our strength must come from the Lord's mighty power from within us and therefore we must, "Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies -- the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world" (Ephesians 6:10-12).
I applaud the Apostle Paul for this letter to the believers in Ephesus, because he is telling us that reclamation will not be achieved through horizontal relationships, though they are important, but our vertical relationship with God will insure us of our everyday victories.
Imagine in your spirit, sitting in a Roman prison staring at the same walls day and night. Your cell measurement is probably 6 feet by 6 feet, or 8 feet by 8 feet. The only liberty you have is to think about Jesus, your Lord and Savior. There are guards posted 24/7, because you are a security risk. Your crime is, you refused to stop preaching Christ and Christ crucified.
From this experience, Paul penned this epistle. During his confinement, Paul observed the every move of the guards. Three things intrigued him, their professionalism, how they were uniformly dressed, and their discipline. Day in and day out Paul saw this picture before him. Paul began to meditate on his past and his present situation. He knew first hand that the believers' life is a battlefield. And immediately upon receiving Christ as his personal Savior, the struggles began. Believers are in an unceasing fight of an unending war with the strategies and tricks of Satan. We must always remember and recognize that our calling in serving the Lord will not be a life of enjoyment and ease, but a life of highs and lows, from the cradle to the grave.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that each Christian had to "be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty powers. Not forsaking the full armor of God so we can take a stand against the devil's schemes." Paul tells us to use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks you. How do we do this? I am glad you asked that question. Paul makes the answer so clear. His answer was, "stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, we are to take up the shield of faith so that we could extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one and the helmet of salvation" (Ephesians 6:14-17). Did you notice that all of these armors was used for defense? Mmmm!
Paul understood that all Christians had to be ready for battle, because of constant attacks by Satan. There is one more weapon and it is as equally important. This final weapon is one that can be used as a defense and offense weapon. It is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The sword was used to protect and fight off and slay the enemy. The sign of a Christian soldier is their use of the word of God. By living in the scripture, we protect ourselves from the onslaught of the enemy. This weapon, like all the others are available by faith. If you are going to stand in Christ, then let the word "have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you." The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon the Christian possesses. The last thing we are to pickup is the word of God, but it is no lesser than all the others. Every Christian must possess the full armament if he or she is to walk in victory or face defeat, with an enemy of many deceptions.
We as Christians, are team members and every team member must stand ready. Members' survival depends on being spiritual connected to a source greater than themselves, prepared to follow orders at all times. We don't pick and choose our armor, because that would allow Satan to look for unguarded areas in our lives to attack. Your armament becomes you and you never leave home without it.
The reason that this weapon, the sword of the Spirit is so powerful, is that every word of God is pure. Every word of God is true. Every word of God is righteous. It is the living word of God: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The word of God cuts both ways. The word of God endures forever. It pierces the heart. Using God's word only makes it sharper in our lives. The word is a cleanser. The Spirit wrote the word and the Spirit wields the word as we take it by faith. The sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and give life. When we use the sword of the Spirit against Satan, we are to deal him a blow that will keep him from hindering our devotion.
Satan, the great deceiver knows every word of Scripture. With this in mind, it is imperative that we "study to show ourselves approve, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:14). He knows that God will keep His promises to His people; and when God hears Scripture in the life of a Christian, He must respond to His word. When the devil sees that you know what you know and that you know how to use it, he will flee. The shameful fact is, he is winning more battles than he should, because we have not learned how to use the word of God in our everyday lives.
We possess the word physically, but we do not possess it spiritually. Most of our homes have a Bible, maybe in the bedroom, on the coffee table, or somewhere near you. And there are some who carry their bible close to them or may have the bible app on their phones or other devices. Some people will keep the bible close to their hearts, but somehow the word never gets into their hearts; therefore, not assuring everyday victory. It appears we are a generation of Bible totters and Bible quoters, but very few of us know how to use the word of God to help secure everyday victories. When Satan knows that you are able to wield the sword of the Spirit intelligently, he will think twice before attacking you. We must learn to use the word of God for more that a table ornament or a conversation piece.
King David learned the value of God's word when he said, "Thy word have I hidden in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11). Like King David, we may have our occasional fall, but out of the fall we should learn a valuable lesson.
Satan, the great deceiver, skilled in the word of God even attempted to deceive Jesus, who is the Word. For the Scripture say, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God" (John 1:1). How can the imitator trick the Creator? When Jesus was tempted, he responded by using three words, "It is written." They are three powerful words that we should incorporate in our daily lives to ensure everyday victory. The more you know the Word, the easier it will be for you to detect Satan's lies and reject his tricks and deceptions.
In a nutshell, everyday victory for everyday people is as simple as this, you must put on the full armor of God. The full armor of God is a picture of Christ. He is our truth, our righteousness, and our peace. He is our all and all. His faithfulness makes our victory possible. So make no mistake our enemy is Satan, who is a wicked deceptive spirit, and is not of flesh and blood. It is the spirit of Satan that works in the sons and daughters of disobedience, just as the spirit of God works in the lives of believers, to make them holy. There is no fair play in Satan's games, nor does he discriminate. He is a satanic spirit, "a roaring lion moving to and fro seeking whom he may devour."
I must declare in some people's lives, he is king, because they refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the King of their lives. Some people refuse to take their fighting position and stand in the full armor of God. One of the most deadly tactics used by Satan is to get us to attack each other. He knows the principle of a divided house.
I urge you today to seek the strength of the Lord. Step into the power of the warrior and commit yourself to a prayer life. Remember that our weapons are not carnal, but spiritual. Kick Satan out and "let the word of Christ dwell richly, in all wisdom." Satan is real and God's soldiers are needed in full armor and on the front lines. So stay alert, be alert, and always be ready. Now you have everyday victory for everyday people.
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