For the Battle is Not Yours But God's Pt. 7

^“Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹ Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 (AMP)

Yet amidst all the things life can and seems to throw at us, we are more conquerors and have gained a surpassing victory through God, who loves us.

 What a thought! Have you thought about such words?

We are more then conquerors….

Ever study history…?

I was thinking about conquerors.  The warrior sultans of the once large Ottoman Empire, Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire, Alexander the Great of Greece, those who carved up Africa in the age of Imperialism, to Hitler… to name a few. 

To these conquerors a little more was never enough to them.   They wanted MORE!  They were unsatisfied no matter how much they had or possessed - their life was still an “empty life”.  Their victories were fleeting along with their empty pleasures that melted like snow in the spring leaving them with nothing.

They never seemed to figure out that the things of this world never satisfied them. 

They tried to find contentment in these things but only unrest followed.

God says we as Christians are more then conquerors… whatever was meant for us to meaningful gain, God has already won and given it to us.   

The war, the battle that mattered most has already been won by Jesus Christ.  Now we stand more then conquerors –we stand as children of the Most High God.

God has given us Jesus Christ and through Christ, he has given us the Holy Spirit, and through the Holy Spirit we have been given everlasting life in heaven and a profound wisdom not just for the mind to fathom but the heart to experience.  We have been given the opportunity to live in the riches beyond the human understanding where peace, love, grace, mercy, faith, joy grow and live.

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”  Ephesians 3:16-19

Is this not what all humanity is clutching for in some manner, shape or form but they look in all the wrong places?  Are they not looking for God’s love to fulfill and satisfy them?  Not realizing what they seek, they entirely dismiss and continually have walked away from- God’s love and assurance.

In Christ we are more then conquerors...  

We told we have gained such a surpassing victory by trusting and accepting Christ.  We have not done anything to conqueror this victory ourselves but it is through Christ.  Christ has won the victory for us and without him; there would be no victory.

It is as if our older brother Christ has shared his victory crown with us.  He has placed it on our head and like children we walk around not truly understanding what has been placed on our head.      

Think about that for a moment…. 1 Peter 2:9

Unlike victories we win on earth that soon become dusty, get put away, are forgotten, our victory is everlasting life in heaven.  It is a treasure where moth and rust and thieves cannot break in and steal.  (Note: Matthew 6:19-20)  
   

Does this mean we will never have to go through any circumstances and trials in this life?    

The answer is "No".   

Life is about trusting God to overcome all the difficulties and struggles in life.  God has made a promise to take care of us through all the ranges of circumstances in life.  A person who isn’t a Christian can’t understand this, they can’t understand if God is a loving God why would a person go through difficult and painful trials in life?  They only see the circumstances; they don’t see the relationship that is being strengthened through the circumstances.   They don’t realize what was meant to for evil (to steal, kill and destroy) God is using as an opportunity to minister mightily to that soul -in ways that he could not have if a person never found or faced circumstances that were out of their control.

Ever watch a person make bread dough? To get the yeast to mix through the entire piece of dough it is continually being pressed and knocked down and kneaded.  

Jesus used this illustration, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast used by a woman making bread.  Even though she used a large amount of flour, the yeast permeated every part of the dough." Matthew 13:33

Yes this scripture deals with Christian individuals showing the love of Christ in this world but he also showed me something else with this scripture... He showed me how the battles we experience in this life help permeated God's love and faithfulness in our life.  We are not just permeated a little here and little there but God can use battles to permeate his assuring love in all our heart, mind and soul.   Where the kingdom of Heaven rules over everything  else.  

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.  We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.  We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.   Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Do you see your life as dough and God using the circumstances of life to mix the yeast (God's love and faithfulness) into your life?  Is he RISING you up in HIS LOVE? 

“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.  Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

This experience of life is about building a relationship with God, seeing where our true strength comes from and waiting with anticipation to see what God is going to do.

I understand life can be a bit daunting and intimidating and even terrifying because of all the “unknowns” and our own imaginations and “what if’s” but what does God's word say?

^“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. ⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:6-8

Praying to God is surrendering all our needs, worries and anxieties to God.  We must ask God to help us redirect on our mind on his promises.  We must fight and resist the urges to make the battles of life our burden.  We must cast down imaginations and every thought that exalts itself above the truths of God.  We must with God's help bring every thought under the obedience of Christ.

^“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)

God is not just the God of Abraham and Jacob but he is the God of you and me.   We forget what God sees in us.  He sees what we many times can’t see in ourselves.  God identifies Himself, as our God, our Heavenly Father, our Savior, our King, our friend, our helper, our provider, our Shepherd, our refuge and we are His children…. HIS CHILDREN. 

1 Peter 5:6 says "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" (KJV) 

Prayer: Heavenly Father we are calling on you as your children, to instill in us the realities of your love- in such a profound way in our heart and mind and soul -that we may walk graciously and be empowered by you in our everyday walk with you, that we may not stumble or be intimidated but glorify you as we walk in this life.  That we may understand the victory that has been placed upon us and in us. And we thank you for this in Jesus name Amen.

Let's remember we are more then conquerors, and we have been given surpassing victory in Christ Jesus.