Many of us strive to win. It doesn’t matter if it is checkers or baseball, being the first fiddle or first in a foot race. We compete at our jobs, seeking a promotion. Some of us strive for attention, wanting our five minutes of fame. We may be willing to do just about anything to win in whatever it is we are competing.

Do you want to know something? For those of us who are in Christ Jesus, we are more than victorious! We have won the most important battle the world has ever seen. Not because we have done anything special ourselves but because Jesus won the battle when He rose on the third day. He not only overcame death but defeated the evil in this world.

I know. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like we are victorious. We still live in a world in which evil exists. Seeing the evil in this world can wear us down. But every time we begin to feel depressed, we should remind ourselves that we have won. Evil may have its time in the spotlight for a little while, but it has been defeated and will ultimately be destroyed.

Being victorious in Jesus does not mean things will always go our way. In fact, Jesus told us there would be trouble. He says sibling will betray sibling, children will revolt against parent, and parents will deny their children (Mark 13:9-13). No, Jesus did not promise us a rose garden. He did promise He would always be with us, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Our victory in Jesus means we can live free. As much as this world wants to enslave us with its demands, we do not have to bow to them. We can live free in the victory Jesus has won for us. The abundant life Jesus promised us includes love, joy, peace, and freedom. The world wants us to pursue greed, hatred, divisiveness, and discrimination. All of those are shackles that enslave us, if we allow them to.

The Apostle Paul goes on to tell us that nothing can separate us from Jesus in the verses that follow today’s passage. When he says nothing, he means nothing. Even as hard as Satan tries, he cannot wrench us away from Jesus. We may stray for a little while, but Jesus is always with us. He is ready to catch us when we fall. His arms are open wide, waiting for our return to Him.

The victory we have in Jesus can never be taken away. Jesus has won. We have won in Him. No matter what the world may tell us, we are more than victorious. It will tell us we are losers unless we do certain things. All lies. We stand in victory today and tomorrow. We stand in victory every day of our lives. Do not allow anyone to tell you different. You stand in Christ’s victory.

 

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us.