Godfidence: Run Boldly in the Direction of Your Victory
Victory. Everyone wants victory. We all want to win, we all want breakthroughs, we want to come out on top. We all want to succeed. No one desires to fail, and as children of God Victory is actually our right.
Victory is defined as the act of defeating an enemy in a battle, game, or other competition.
So by definition, this means that for there to be victory in any situation there must be a battle...a war... there MUST be some sort of opposition in order to achieve victory.
Ok...so let's just be honest, we all want to experience victory in our lives but no one really wants to fight for it. We want to believe that simply because we go to church, quote a few scriptures or pray at night victory and breakthrough should be knocking us down left and right with no REAL proactive action on our part.
But as believers the enemy is directly and purposefully opposed to us experiencing victory in any area of life.
So this means we must battle, we must fight for our victory.
Spiritual Warfare. There must be a battle to be loosed from the spirit of depression, there must be a spiritual battle to overcome anxiety, there must be opposition to achieve peace in your family, there must be a fight to gain victory.
Have you ever thought about what victories are on the other side of the battles and trials we face? Have you ever considered what breakthroughs would come if you just enter the battle and go get it instead of waiting for breakthrough to drop out of the sky?
The enemy may be holding on to our breakthrough, and we MUST proactively oppose him to break through.
““Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.” Mark 3:27”
I know we may never want to proactively go into battle with the enemy. Spiritual warfare sounds scary, but sometimes it is necessary. You need your peace from anxiety, you need to be freed from generational curses, you need your joy from depression and that breakthrough is being held by that 'strong man'.
With Christ, we are stronger than the enemy, we must 'enter the enemy's house, tie him up' and take our victory, take our peace of mind, take our stable family life, take our joy.
We already have the victory.
““For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”1 John 5:4-5”
Victory is already ours. Have Faith. Believe it. Be Bold. Go Get It.
Young David in 1 Samuel 17 taught me a few things about going to battle.
The Philistines gathered their army against the Israelites The Philistines sent their greatest champion Goliath to defeat them. Goliath was 9ft tall and the Israelite army and King Saul were afraid. Then comes David, a young shepherd boy volunteering to battle Goliath.
1) Be Confident: David's confidence in victory is first seen in verses 32; 34-37
32“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!
34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”
Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the lord be with you!”
David believed, he was confident, he was sure, he was convinced that the Lord would give him victory.
2) The Battle is not yours, its not against you: 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!
As a child of God, any attack on you is a direct attack on the Lord. When the enemy attacks his motive is derail the plans and work of the Lord, you are the means through which he is trying to do it. You need only stand up, and show up for battle, the Lord will defend himself.
3)Victory doesn't always come through familiar means: 38 Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.
“I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 40 He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
The way you dealt with a trial last time may not be the same way to victory this time. What your friend had to do to deal with a similar situation, may not work for you. Be lead by the Lord every time, don't rely on past tactics.
4) Declare your victory & Run boldly:
45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.
David declared directly to his enemy, what the outcome of the battle would be. Victory for his people and defeat for the Philistines. With confidence, and direction of the Lord, David RAN to Goliath. He did not wait for Goliath to come to him, but he ran confidently to battle. Run Boldly to your victory.
David was confident of the Israelite victory in the Lord. He was sure victory belonged to them. All that was left was to defeat the enemy to get it.
Are we that confident? Do we have the boldness in times of Spiritual War and trials? Are we boldly declaring victory? Are we getting up from prayer knowing that He hears us, and if we believe he hears us, then we have whatever we ask? Our victory may lie on the other side of Goliath, we can't afford to be timid, we must run to it with confidence.
Maybe you're like me and you don't really like conflict, but if the enemy is sitting on my victory I have no other choice but to rise up, run into battle and claim the victory the Lord promised me.
It's not easy, but it’s necessary.
Confront the enemy. Boldly declare your victory. Command the word of God to come to life. Speak the word over the situation. Take your peace, family, mind, body or whatever it may be back from him. Be consistent, continue on until you see change and even after. Command any open doors, that have allowed the enemy in closed. Cut all ties with him and the people, places, entertainment and things he used to get to you. Repent. Demand your breakthrough, proclaim your victory.
Be committed to action
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
As we head into battle, let us be reminded that we have already have victory.
Lord,
Give us the confidence of David. That when men of war are running away from Goliaths, may we boldly run to claim our victory. Let no good thing be withheld from us due to our fear, and lack of confidence. May we never be intimated by the enemy to back down. Give us the boldness Lord to run towards our victory despite the battle ahead. May we never miss any breakthrough because we are afraid to fight for it. Open our eyes to see where you are calling us to battle, prepare us. Thank you for the victory.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Godfidence. Confidence in God. Go confidently. Run to your victory.