A Recent Lesson On Victory

Standing for the truth of Christ and Him Crucified in our world today can be a lonely and often times solitary position. Recently, I found myself under a severe attack of the enemy as he tried to magnify that in my life. Even though we try to always appear so strong, the truth is we are but flesh and in a moment of fatigue and physical tiredness; I began to feel the emotional attack that was being launched against me. You see, when you minister to others sometimes you get a big target on your back spiritually speaking. Satan is not in sympathy with what we are preaching and he will do anything he can to hinder the message of the Cross in every way possible.

Rev. 12:10-11 from the Expositors Study Bible

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven (presents the white-robe wearers of Rev. 6:10–11), Now is come Salvation, and Strength, and the Kingdom of our God (presents the triumph of Christ), and the power of His Christ (refers to the fact that Christ will rule this world, not Satan): for the accuser of our Brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (This implies that either Satan or one of his fallen angels is before the Throne of God, accusing the Brethren constantly [Job, Chpts. 1–2].)

11 And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb (the power to overcome and overwhelm the Kingdom of Satan is found exclusively in the Blood of the Sacrifice of the Son of God, and our Faith in that Finished Work [Rom. 6:3–5, 11, 14]), and by the word of their testimony (the “testimony” must pertain to the fact that the Object of our Faith is the Cross, and exclusively the Cross, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work within our lives); and they loved not their lives unto the death. (This refers to the fact that the Believer must not change his testimony regarding the Cross to something else, even if it means death.)

Swaggart, Jimmy: The Expositor's Study Bible. Baton Rouge, LA : World Evangelism Press, 2005, S. 2200

In the above verse of Scripture, the Lord showed me a very important personal lesson that I want to try and relate to you. It is this: We Overcome by the Blood of Jesus (faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross) ; The word of our testimony (the message of the cross), and loving not our lives unto the death. I was missing it in the 3rd area. Let me try and briefly explain:

While I am learning new things about the cross everyday and have in no way arrived by any means, I do have a pretty good basic understanding of the message of the cross and that is my total testimony... I believe in the cleansing, saving, keeping, and delivering power of the Precious Blood of Jesus.... But I found myself focusing a little on love of my own life and in this way; while not threatened with physical death, I found myself almost craving an understanding word from others. Now, in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with that and I want to be clear that we should encourage and edify each other. But first and foremost, we must look to Jesus for all that we need, knowing and understanding that He provided everything we need at the cross.

As I minister to thousands on a weekly basis and really daily basis, I allowed my focus to get on my perceived need for an encouraging word from my brethren and when, for whatever reason that did not come, satan was there to hit me with discouragement. This was all stemming from not occupying my position of death to self and from me, very briefly, taking my eyes off Jesus and Him Crucified and trying to see my need for encouragement fulfilled by people instead of my Lord. There is something in all of us that sometimes craves the expressed appreciation of others. Again let me say, that if you are a believer, you should encourage others and go out of your way to do so. BUT, as a Christian we are never to look to man to meet any need that we may have. We must look exclusively to Christ. I spent a couple of days under needless attack because of focusing on my love for my own life in this way.

As soon as I realized the Lord was putting His finger on this in my life, I repented and said, "Lord, my life is yours and I am dead and hidden in you.. Take control of this" Instantly, the oppression lifted and victory was mine in Jesus, because of Calvary. At the Cross, Jesus purchased my wholeness and it is not dependant on the acceptance or rejection of any person or group of people. This is not always easy to learn and to stand on in the face of an attack but God will always give us the Grace to stand if our faith is in the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

I believe the Lord allowed me to experience this because of the days we are living in. The Message of the Cross is a last days message. It is a message for all time, but today, it is the dividing line between the true and the apostate church, even as it has always been the dividing line. As we stand and proclaim and defend this great truth, we will often find ourselves having to do so in the face of great opposition. Family, friends,loved ones, co-workers,and sadly, even many in the church will oppose us because they oppose the Jesus in us and they oppose the message. We must learn that whatere betide, we must keep our focus and our trust in the Lord at all times. He is our life.. He is our encourager, Jesus is our everything; our all in all.
Galatians 2:20-21 from the Expositors Study Bible

20 I am Crucified with Christ (as the Foundation of all Victory; Paul, here, takes us back to Rom. 6:3–5): nevertheless I live (have new life); yet not I (not by my own strength and ability), but Christ lives in me (by virtue of me dying with Him on the Cross, and being raised with Him in newness of life): and the life which I now live in the flesh (my daily walk before God) I live by the Faith of the Son of God (the Cross is ever the Object of my Faith), Who loved me, and gave Himself for me (which is the only way that I could be saved).

21 I do not frustrate the Grace of God (if we make anything other than the Cross of Christ the Object of our Faith, we frustrate the Grace of God, which means we stop its action, and the Holy Spirit will no longer help us): for if Righteousness come by the Law (any type of Law), then Christ is dead in vain. (If I can successfully live for the Lord by any means other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, then the Death of Christ was a waste.)

Swaggart, Jimmy: The Expositor's Study Bible. Baton Rouge, LA : World Evangelism Press, 2005, S. 2052

Colossians 3:3 from The Expositors Study Bible
3 For you are dead (dead to the old life by virtue of the fact of Christ dying on the Cross as our Substitute and, in effect, us dying with Him [Rom. 6:3–5]), and your life is hid with Christ in God (all made possible by the Cross [Jn. 14: 20]).

Swaggart, Jimmy: The Expositor's Study Bible. Baton Rouge, LA : World Evangelism Press, 2005, S. 2084E

As we look to Christ and Him alone to meet our every need, we can rest assured that He will do so and always in the ways that are the very best for us.....
Victory is mine... Victory is mine... Victory today is mine.... God told satan, get thee behind, Victory today is mine.... ALL BECAUSE OF THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS. THANK YOU JESUS...........................