What It Looks Like to Live with Victory in Jesus
Throughout our series on spiritual warfare this fact has remained central: Jesus has already won the victory over the enemy.
Because believers are crucified with Christ and now live His life, that victory is ours as well. (Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:5)
The enemy has not surrendered the fight but that doesn’t make our victory in Jesus any less real or powerful. Therefore, we can live in that victory despite the spiritual warfare the devil uses to attack us. Here are ways to live in that victory:
Put on the Full Armor of God
Wearing the armor isn’t merely about being protected in the battle; it’s also about putting on the identity as one redeemed by Christ. You are no longer a slave to Satan’s kingdom of darkness, but a citizen of heaven committed to advancing the kingdom of God.
Raise a Hallelujah
Because we have victory in Jesus, we can rejoice in that victory at any moment, regardless of our circumstances. In fact, taking intentional time to celebrate the Lord’s victory will remind your heart of who fights with and for you in the battle–and that nothing is impossible for Him who defeated death and sin.
You can rejoice by singing praises, by praying Psalms, and by listing out times the Lord has overcome in your life, starting with when His Holy Spirit awakened your soul to the hope of the gospel.
Focus on Eternity
Human life on earth is incredibly short, leading to our short-sightedness. We often chase temporary things like financial security, material success, knowledge, and life experiences. These aren’t necessarily bad but are fleeting and lead to shallow faith (1 John 2:15-17).
“Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.” – Francis Chan
Evangelical Bible teacher Francis Chan said, “lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.” The Bible teaches that our actions here impact our eternity.
We should invest in eternity by spending time with our Heavenly Father and letting Him reorient our priorities. When we submit to God first, everything else falls into place.
Live Inside-Out and Upside Down
Jesus actually tells us in His Sermon on the Mount that to live as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven is to live paradoxically. This includes loving your enemies, praying for those who persecute you, turning the other cheek, etc. (Matthew 5-7)
He didn’t just talk about living counter-culturally, He lived by serving. He healed the sick, blessed the poor, washed the feet of His disciples and laid down His life for those who rejected Him.
Living with victory in Jesus means taking on His life–a life of compassion, service and love.
An Open Invitation
Finally, to live with victory in Jesus means to understand His victory comes with an open invitation extended to everyone. Those of us who have already received it have an obligation to share it with others.
And if we’re being honest, all other things mentioned here point to this:
- If you’re wearing the shoes of the gospel of peace–part of the armor of God–the gospel not only grounds you but motivates your movements.
- If you’re raising a hallelujah for the ways God has overcome in your life, then you understand His greatest victory is what He did for you (and for everyone else) through Jesus’s death and resurrection.
- If you’re focused on eternity, you’ll understand the urgency to share the gospel. Life on earth is short and could end at any moment. How can people make the choice to spend eternity with God if no one ever tells them the choice is there?
- If you’re living like Jesus, you should not only be moved by people’s physical needs, but their greatest spiritual need as well: a Savior.
Inspired by message six of Mt. Bethel Church’s BATTLE sermon series, entitled, “Victory in Jesus” by Matt Lake, Mt. Bethel Director of Next Gen Ministries. You can listen to the message here.You can also subscribe to get access to the study guide that accompanies this series here.