Victory comes when we rely upon God for our needs
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- October 29, 2017
- 1213
In my last column I wrote about Chris, a person who was a Christian from his youth but finally after years received revelation of the love of God and his need for him in his everyday life, not just as his ticket to get to heaven.
This concept has been on my heart lately because I too lived many years of my Christian life in the “saved and stuck” mode, waiting for the victory that comes when we get to heaven instead of understanding that Jesus has purchased it for us in the here and now as well. I want to help people walk in the abundant life Jesus died for us to have here on earth too.
We do not have to walk as the rest of the world walks. We should be different. I’m not just talking about how we conduct ourselves but how we think as well.
Do things in the world affect us the same as they do nonbelievers? Do we react to situations the same as everyone else? We should be a light in the darkness, a light that is not overwhelmed by the darkness but rather overtakes the darkness.
Lack of knowledge of what has been made available to us and being dominated by the world and what we see all around us are the biggest hindrances to working this out.
Jesus did not conform to the world nor let the situations of the world overwhelm him. Many people wish Jesus was still here on earth so they could walk beside him, rely on him and ask questions of him. Although I do agree it would be pretty awesome to meet Jesus face to face on earth and do look forward to when I get to meet him someday, what he left us with through his resurrection and return to God his Father is much better actually than if he was still here with us.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” — John 14:12, 16-17.
Instead of Jesus and the Holy Spirit just being with us before his death, now we can have both of them living in us, making it possible for us to do the works that Jesus did. I believe we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit to fully utilize the fullness of this power. How do you receive it? Just ask God for it (Luke 11:13). These works are not through our own flesh and strength but through their power taking up residence in us.
We also have God’s word pointing us to the many promises that are now ours through Jesus. Can you see that God has equipped us and made it available for us to become more than conquerors through him to whatever comes our way? The purpose of this article is not to condemn people who are not living this way but to open up our eyes to a more victorious way of living.
My mom and I had the chance recently to share with someone very dear to us who was struggling with fear and some health issues. She had never heard of the authority we have as believers, the fact that healing has been provided through Jesus or the power of the spoken word of God over our situations.
Fear dominated her daily life. But praise God she received the truths we shared, and one night when she woke up in a cold sweat, anxiety overtaking her, she grabbed her Bible, spoke Psalm 91 aloud against that anxious spirit and was able to go back to sleep immediately.
Prior to knowing the truth, she would have been awake all night, haunted by those anxious thoughts, but now instead she understood her authority and God’s promises to her, and she applied it to her situation to be able to walk in victory. She is a transformed person as the truths of what she has been given through Jesus are becoming more and more real to her.
The fear is being replaced with peace as she relies upon God and his word. Jesus has become relevant in her life like never before, and she is excited to learn more and to share with all who listen. That’s the kind of victory I want everyone to experience.
Amber can be reached at amberdeemiller32@gmail.com or through her AmberRiceMiller Facebook page.