I came across this verse this morning as I was spending time with the Lord in His Word and wanted to share a few thoughts. There is great joy in victory, especially one that follows a long, difficult battle. There is relief when a battle is finally over, but there is joy only on the winning side. This is true in sports, in life, on the battlefield, and especially in our walk with Christ.
We throw around verses like “The battle belongs to the Lord” or “We are more than conquerors in Christ,” but do you believe them? Have you lived them out in reality. The Word of God has a lot to say on this topic, and though it may not be a popular topic, it is certainly one we all need to understand from a biblical perspective if we want to walk in victory.
This is one of the reasons we chose Victorious as our theme for the year, and why we hope you are planning to join us for this year’s Flourish Conference at Grand Point Church in Chambersburg next weekend. (It is not too late to get tickets and join us! We still have complimentary registration available for female pastors or wives of pastors!)
We all have battles to face, but just knowing what God’s Word says is not enough to be victorious. Any competitor will tell you that if you don’t believe you can win, you probably won’t. So, mindset is super important. However mindset alone won’t get you across the finish line. If you don’t prepare, you probably won’t come out on top either.
We understand that an athlete prepares to meet their opponent with months, even years, of preparation. Indeed, they live the lifestyle that makes winning possible. This is also true of every soldier preparing for war. There is intense mental and physical training to be battle ready.
A warrior doesn’t usually fight alone either—unless you are David and God has anointed to bring down the giant tormenting your people! Gideon had 300 men with him in battle. Even an Olympic athlete competing in an individual sport has a whole team of people supporting them and working with them to help them succeed.
Sadly, we often don’t recognize these truths in our spiritual battles or the battles we face in day to day living. Whatever your battle, you will only be victorious if you believe it is possible. You will only be victorious if you prepare. There is no shortcut to athletic training or training for warfare, and this is also true when we experience spiritual warfare, but what does spiritual training look like?
There is no shortcut to spending time with God in His Word. He knows what you need and He will train you for whatever you are going to face. The battle belongs to the Lord. It is true, but He is working through you! You must know the Word to recognize the lies of the enemy. You must believe what God says or it will be useless to equip you for victory. This comes in daily relationship with the One who brings victory. God has never lost a battle, so stick close to Him!
We also need each other, especially when there is a battle raging in our lives. Even Moses had to have Aaron and Joshua to hold up his arms when he got tired. God created us to be in community with one another. I need you and you need me. A victorious warrior trusts those in the battle with him.
Want to walk in greater victory? Join us at the Flourish Conference next week to learn winning strategies and be encouraged. Can’t attend? We will be posting the main sessions to our You Tube channel ffollowing the event. Consider gathering the ladies at your church for a Flourish Encore where you can watch and discuss the videos together.
In addition, we’ll continue the conversation on this blog. Each month we will make these posts available in Newsletter format on our website so that they can be downloaded and shared with those who prefer print.
Lord, teach us to walk in the victory you purchased for us at the Cross. Help us to be willing to allow you to train us to apply the weapons of warfare that You provide us. Thank You, Lord, that You still give victories to those who trust in You.
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