The Victorious Christian Life
ð Introduction:
o Some Christians try and try and when they do not succeed, sink down to a lower level of Christian experience, living on a standard lower than they desire, but helpless to advance and fearful lest they make fools of themselves by trying.
o Other Christians have never heard of the victorious life and continue sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing.
o Is this all that Christ has to offer?
ð I. POSSIBILITY OF THE VICTORIOUS LIFE
o The Bible teaches glorious victory over sin for every believer.
· I John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
o John is not speaking about victory in heaven but victory on earth—daily victory.
o If this verse is not true in a believer’s life, then there is something wrong.
o Satan will do his utmost to keep this knowledge from a Christian.
o The devil does not mind a religious person or a powerless Christian, but he surely fears the power of a triumphant life.
o I would add my testimony to many others that this victorious life is possible, not only for the sanctified few but for every one born into the family of God.
ð II. PROMISES OF THE VICTORIOUS LIFE
o John 7:37, 38, “Jesus stood and cried,… out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
· This is Jesus’ own promise to you, a believer.
o John 10:10, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
· Jesus does not want us to have just a little bit of life and victory, but abundantly.
o Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you:…”
· This strong language!
o II Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,…”
· “Always,” not just sometimes, but always.
▪ Ours is the victory through Christ.
o I Corinthians 10:13, promises victory over every temptation for every believer.
o Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
· Not just victory, but abundant, super-abounding victory over our enemies.
o According to Galatians 5:16, The Christian life does not fulfill the lust (will or desire) of the flesh.
ð III. PRINCIPLE OF THE VICTORIOUS LIFE—“By Faith”
o The principle is that the victorious life is a gift received from God by faith.
o Our salvation was a gift.
· We did not deserve it or earn it in the least.
o Victory is also a gift.
· We cannot attain it in our own strength.
▪ That is impossible.
o Romans 1:17, “…The just (the ones justified) shall live by faith.”
· See also Galatians 3:11 & Hebrews 10:38.
o The believer is saved and begins a new life in the Spirit.
· Most Christians are like the foolish Galatians that tried to continue in the flesh by works.
o Victory is the work of the Saviour in us, not our accomplishment in the least.
o Our “…strength is made perfect in weakness…” II Corinthians 12:9
· As we confess our inability to gain victory and yield to the mighty power of Christ, He gains the victory.
o The drunkard is converted and immediately gets victory over liquor.
· That is the victorious life.
· Respectable people need victory over themselves and their besetting sins.
o “Faith does nothing; faith lets God do it all.” (Dr. C.G. Trumbull)
o “One qualification that you must have for the victorious life is the broken pinion, the broken nature, uttermost weakness,” (Dr. C.G. Trumbull).
· Surely we can qualify.
o The secret of victory is in the indwelling Christ.
· Victory is in trusting, not trying.
ð IV. SECRET OF THE VICTORIOUS LIFE—“Identification”
o I believe that the secret of the victorious life is our identification with Christ.
o Romans 6:4-22 is generally accepted as the victory chapter.
· In the cross of Christ two important truths are taught—substitution and identification.
o To the sinner we teach substitution.
· “Look and live.”
o To the saint it is “Look and die.”
o 1. Identification with Christ’s death: I died with Christ.
· Romans 6:5, “…planted together (Christ and I) in the likeness of his death,…”
· Romans 6:6, “…our old man (the Adamic sin nature) is crucified with him,…”
· Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ:…” – Absolute identification.
· Death frees a man once and forever from the power and dominion of sin,
▪ “For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:7.
o 2. Identification with Christ’s burial—I was buried with Him.
· Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him…”
▪ Dead things ought to be buried.
o 3. Identification with Christ’s resurrection. I rose with Christ.
· Romans 6:5, “…we (Christ and the believer) shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”
o 4. Identification with Christ’s present triumphant life.
· Romans 6:4, “…even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
· Romans 6:6, “…that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
· Romans 6:8, “…we believe that we shall also live with him:”
· Romans 6:10, “…in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”
▪ By life lived only for Him.
· The secret that the indwelling Christ lives in the heart and life of each believer for the purpose of becoming Lord and Master of that life.
· Colossians 1:27, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
▪ I am dead and the living Christ lives and rules in my yielded body and gains constant triumphant victory for me.
ð V. THE REQUISITE IN A VICTORIOUS LIFE – “Yield”
o If it is true that I am dead to sin with Christ, then there is only one thing for me to do and that is to yield myself to God.
· Romans 6:13, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead,…”
o Assume your new position by faith—“alive from the dead.”
· You are now living on resurrection ground—on the victory side of the cross.
o Sin and the world have no hold on you.
· Don’t fight sin.
▪ You can’t.
▪ Instead, yield to a more powerful force—the power of the resurrected Christ.
ð VI. THE CHOICE OF A VICTORIOUS LIFE—“Victory or Defeat”
o As a Christian I still have my own free will.
· If I choose victory I certainly may have it as a gift from the Lord.
o If I reject the gift of victory I will continue to live a defeated Christian life.
o Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
· The choice is mine: righteousness or sin.
o Romans 6:18, “Being then made free from sin,…”
· Freedom is ours for the taking.
o Romans 6:19, “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity;…”
· Warning from verse 19: If I choose uncleanness it will lead down from iniquity to iniquity.
o Romans 6:22, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
· Exhortation from verse22: Since you are free from sin become a bond slave to Jesus-
▪ The choice then is whom will I surrender myself and my members?
ð CONCLUSION
o What shall we do if we try this and fail?
· Remember that 1 John 1:9 is still true.
▪ “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
o He has not failed.
· Your fall does not weaken Christ.
▪ He will forgive you and cause that this fall will be used to strengthen you against a similar failure.
o Do not rely on past victories for future victory.
· Always rely on Christ alone.
o Memorize the promises.
· Quote them to the devil.
▪ Rest in the Lord constantly.
o Victory can only be ours as we obey all the commands of the Spirit to us personally.
o The only time that you can live the victorious life is NOW.
· Begin today.
o Let us not only know this truth doctrinally, but also know it experimentally in our lives.
o Hudson Taylor came into victory through this sentence: “…not a striving to have faith but a looking off to the faithful One seems all that we need.”
o My desire, “…I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:…” Galatians 2:20.