September 15 – Victory In Jesus (John 14:30)

“Now the prince of this world will be driven out.”
(John 12:31)

IN WORD:
We know that Jesus won the victory over the evil one. But we also know that the evil one is still active to this very day. We struggle with the implications of the victory of the Cross, because we don’t always see them. Though we are inhabited by the Spirit of God, the spirit of this world often grips our hearts. And what a grip! No living human has yet fully been released.
Why not? Is the power of Jesus insufficient? No, He is able to save us completely. We are beyond the enemy’s control. But he still attacks. If he can get us completely absorbed in the battle, then we cannot be completely absorbed with our God. We cannot focus on the war and maintain our focus on the Victor — unless we’ve learned to let the Victor fight our battles.
Jesus claimed all authority over the enemy — in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). That has profound implications for us. When we are attacked, we know our source of victory. When we are tempted, we know our source of resistance. When we are discouraged, we know our source of hope. Everything the enemy threatens to do with us on the battleground of this world is countered in the arsenal of Jesus. But there’s a catch. In order to realize this victory in the here and now, we must employ faith in the Beginning and the End. The Alpha and Omega, our Savior and Lord, gives us the key to every weapon. But we must take it and use it.

IN DEED:
Are you battle-weary? Be encouraged. This world is not an everlasting domain. It’s ruler has been legally stripped of power, and his apparent resistance is deceptive. He holds no real power over the person of faith. The world and all that is in it is passing away (1 John 2:17). It’s a dying and desperate regime. When we understand this — really get a grasp of it — the temptations we face and the trials we endure become much more easy to handle. Why? Because our faith is not in our ability to overcome, it’s in the Overcomer. Jesus is the only One to truly transcend this world, and He brings us with Him into glory. Trust in Him. Know the victory that is His. The exiled prince has nothing on you.

“Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! Oh, glorious victory that overcomes the world.” -John H. Yates-