Monday, July 14, 2014

God's Children Defeat This Evil World

We have what it takes to be victorious.


1 John 5:4-5, 12-13, 18-20  For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.  And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

12  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life.  13  I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

18  We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.  19  We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.   

20  And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life.

An athlete is very focused on his goal and he works to achieve it everyday but he still knows that when he competes against other people with the same goal there is a chance that he isn't going to be victorious. He knows that in the world of sports there can only be one winner.

Unlike the athlete God's children don't have to worry about defeat and we know that Jesus victory makes all of his children winners. We all come in first place!

If you are living for God and pleasing him with your lifestyle then you are probably very aware that there is a battle going on in this world. The more you try and live right the more weird you will look to the rest of the world and the more Satan and his children will attack you.

The world doesn't like weird, it doesn't like what it can't understand, the world sees our peculiar lifestyle and makes fun of us or tempts us to live just like everybody else.The world likes everybody going the same direction and eliminating our differences. The problem is that the children of God are so different that it is difficult to ignore.
Jesus Christ’s victory is effective:
Over temptation - Hebrews 4:15
Over sin - Romans 5:20-21
Over Satan - John 12:31
Over evil spirits - Mark 1:23-27
Over all powers - Colossians 2:15
Over the world - John 16:33
Over death - Romans 6:9
We don't coexist very well when we claim that we are going to be with God for eternity and nobody else is. We don't coexist well when we claim that nobody else is pleasing God, that they are following Satan, living in sin, and the list goes on.

We have to know that it isn't possible to have vanity and selflessness, materialism and generosity or anger and grace living in harmony with each other. The opposite ends of the pendulum are not likely to get along.

John tells us that God's children are victorious over this evil world. We have victory over temptation and sin, over Satan and his demons and we conquer death all because of our faith in Jesus. (Revelation 12:11, Revelation 13:7,1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Habitual sin is a state of defeat that we don't have to live with, we will blow it from time to time and Satan is happy to use that to accuse us but the ultimate victory has already been determined for God's children. (Romans 8:37)
God's People Are Winners
Daniel 7:27 Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.
Through Jesus we have the victory over Satan, over death and over this evil world, just the same as Christ overcame all of the of the forces of evil that were arrayed against him. Satan lost the battle! Jesus victory redefines everything!

I need to remember that believers are able to share in the victory that Jesus won for us through our faith. I will get to experience eternal life in God's presence in the perfect place that he is preparing for me.