“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
Many Christians have a victim mentality when it comes to spiritual warfare, and even when it comes to life. Everything seems to go wrong for them; they see the devil as powerful, and overall they are striving for victory but never quite attaining it. There is no place for striving for victory in the Christian life. Jesus’ victory is our victory and as a result we are not trying to achieve victory. We’re not even fighting for victory. If you see yourself as “fighting for victory”, then you see yourself as a victim; you see yourself in a negative light, as someone who needs victory. But the Bible declares that if you are a Christian (born of God) then you are born into victory. You’re not fighting for victory but rather you’re fighting from a place of victory. A significant key to reigning in life is seeing yourself as victorious because you are born of God. You’re not fighting to get victory. You are living in victory and now you are fighting to resist the attacks of the devil (his lies in your mind) which would try to get you to believe that you lack something and need to fight him for it.
“Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue”
2 Peter 1:3 RV
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 KJV
God has already blessed us with everything we could need for life (the practical) and godliness (the spiritual). You are already blessed (past tense). It’s an accomplished fact and a done deal. This also shows that God’s blessing is by grace (His favour is undeserved, unmerited and unearned). We get it because He is good, not because we are good. We need to learn to access or claim what is ours in Christ. It doesn’t happen automatically. It comes “through the knowledge of Him.” Once again, what you don’t know is causing you to perish (Hosea 4:6). We cannot expect to reign in life and experience the abundant life in Christ is we are not full of the Word.
“…and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)
The armour of God has been given to you and it is your divine right as a child of God to use it. You cannot earn it through prayer and personal holiness. Understanding the basic truths of what the armour of God represents (as we have looked at over the past few days) enables you to use what is rightfully yours. But if you don’t know these things, you cannot make use of them. God has set you up for victory – you were born-again into victory. You don’t need to strive to break free from bondages – you need to discover the wonderful truth that you are free! You don’t need to try live a good life in order for God to accept you and bless you – you need to discover the truth that because you’re “in Christ” you are accepted and blessed with everything you could ever need.
We are not fighting to achieve something. We fight to defend what we have. We fight the battle by standing in His grace; by standing in what He has done for us; by standing in His victory.
Thought to focus on for the day:
Stop believing the devil’s lies. You are not someone who needs to fight for victory and freedom. As a child of God you are blessed, free and victorious. You fight by standing in (resting in) what Jesus has done for you.
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