Victory Over Troubles and Hardships
So what does it mean to be a super-conqueror? As I look around my community, I see people with health problems. Money and job problems. Relationship problems. Addiction struggles.
I see people who are going through hard times. People to whom life has been cruel. People who need a win because life has defeated them.
I think Jesus needed a win. He’d been misunderstood, maligned, wrongly arrested, unfairly tried, brutally beaten, nailed to a tree and killed.
Game over, thought the enemy. I won.
Hang on a second said Jesus. No you didn’t!
A few days later he was up on his feet, made new, visiting with the people who watched him die. Victorious over death, victorious over his hardships and troubles.
Victory Through Endurance
And Paul says to the early Christians – you’re gonna go through hardships yourselves. Listen to those words again form Romans 8: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Amazing: we are like sheep led to the slaughter, Paul says, but: IN ALL THESE THINGS we are conquerors. He didn’t say these things will not affect you or no more hardships for you. He didn’t say you don’t have to worry about pain, you will not experience it. He said IN THESE THINGS we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Friends, victory is not the ceasing of hard times. Victory is this: ENDURING hard times by the power of Christ! Victory over troubles and hardships comes when we say: Christ conquered… Christ is in me… I will conquer!!! NOTHING can separate me from His love because HE LIVES IN MY HEART!
Strength in Resurrection
I love singing that song that says “You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart!!!” NOTHING can make me doubt his love and care for me! I will face my troubles joyfully with him living in me. And THAT will make all the difference.
I hope that in your hard times, in your struggles, in your famines, your dangers, when you face swords and griefs and troubles, you will pause time and again and say to yourself:
Christ conquered… Christ is in me… I will conquer!!!
And that remembering the risen Saviour who lives in your heart will give you the strength and the power to endure your hard times.
Victory is assured for the one who lives with a deep reliance on the risen Christ.
