Victory in the Face of Defeat

How many here have ever faced defeat in something?

How many here have ever had victory in something?

Perhaps some of you can sympathize with me on this….

I am a Detroit lions fan.

It can be very hard.

We were the first team to go 0-16

1 of 12 teams that have never won a super bowl

1 of 4 teams that have never even reached a super bowl.

Before this last season Their last playoff win was January 5th 1992. 1 month before I turned 4. So I don’t even remember them winning much at all before this last season.

Needless to say, I am used to feeling defeated when it comes to the lions, but I still cheer for them because I have hope that one year they will go all the way and win the super bowl, it’s what all fans do, hold on hoping for a victory that may never happen.

I am super excited that they look like a good team now and more people are saying they might win a super bowl soon. But you never know.

In life we can feel the same way, facing defeat after defeat.

If we look around us I’m sure we could all see areas either in our own lives or the lives of those around us and in our community.

Our country is divided more than ever before

People are facing unemployment and inflation

Drug abuse in our communities is on the rise

Anxiety and depression are increasing in all ages

But, we don’t have to live in defeat!

The difference in cheering for a sports team and being a follower of Christ is knowing that we are already on the winning side.

We have victory through Jesus Christ, He has already won!

And even though we still face our battles we can be victorious because of what He has already done.

Maybe your sitting here and thinking, I don’t I’m feeling pretty defeated.

Well to help combat that thought today we are going to look at…

3 Victories we have through Jesus Christ

As you read the bible you will find many things that we have victory over through Jesus Christ, but today we will focus on 3

The first is…

1. Victory over Sin

We all have our own vices, the things that the enemy knows he can tempt us with and get us to fail with time and time again. No one is exempt from this because we are all sinful people and the enemy is very good at what he does. The bible paints a good picture of what this looks like in Proverbs 26:11:

Proverbs 26:11 CSB

As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.

That’s really disgusting to think about, but that is how we are with the sins that we all struggle with. We are tempted, we give in to that temptation, we feel guilty and tell ourselves we’ll never do it again, but then we go and pick it back up and do that same thing over and over again.

But we don’t have to live life that way, God has given us victory over sin through Jesus Christ.

I want to share a few verses to show you how we have victory over sin.

The first verse shows that we have victory because Jesus himself first had victory over the temptation that He was faced with.

Hebrews 4:14–16 CSB

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

We don’t serve a God who is unable to empathize with what we face everyday.

Jesus knows what we are facing because He has faced it also, and he was victorious

Because of His victory we are able to approach the throne of God and ask for help when we are tempted and He will give us what we need to be victorious. And He will give us grace when we mess up.

The second verse I want to share with you is 1 Corinthians 10:13.

1 Corinthians 10:13 CSB

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

We are not promised that we won’t be tempted, we all will face temptation, that is part of living in a fallen world.

Temptation is a routine part of life.

Our desire to sin can sometimes feel so much more powerful than our desire to do what is right before God.

What if we cannot resist?

Our God is still for us. He loves us. He is not waiting for us to fail; He is ready to help us.

There is always the possibility of resisting temptation, Satan’s power to tempt us is limited

The question is will we claim that victory and resist and escape the temptaion?

The third passage I want to share with you is Romans 6:1-7.

Romans 6:1–7 CSB

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin.

When Jesus died on that cross, he took on all of our sins and put them to death with him.

When we accept him as our savior we crucify our flesh, and we are resurrected as a new creation, and just like that last verse says, we are no longer slaves to sin but we have been set free from it.

God has given us all we need to be victorious over sin, we are the ones that choose to keep living in defeat.

I encourage you to take the tools that God has given you and have victory over sin you your life.

We are not slaves to it anymore.

The second thing we have victory over is

Victory Over Life’s Circumstances

It is really easy to feel defeated when we look at all the negative things that are going on in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

And right now with everything going on around us that feeling may be overwhelming in your life.

I wish I could stand here and tell you that when you accept Christ all your problems go away but I can’t.

I can however tell you that we serve a God that will never leave us or forsake us, and even though we will still have trials in our lives we can still have victory.

John 16:33 CSB

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Jesus said this to his disciples after he had spoken to them about what was about to happen to him and what they would face after he left.

He tells them flat out that they will have trouble, but that in that trouble they can have peace and know that He has overcome the world and no matter what they face they can trust in Him and have victory.

James 1:2–4 CSB

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

This has always been a difficult yet encouraging verse for me.

When we are facing trials in our lives our first reaction is normally not to have joy, we aren’t usually sitting there saying well this is great!

But in these verses God is showing us that through our trials he is making us into better people, Mature, Complete, Lacking nothing!

So we can look at our life’s circumstances and instead of feeling defeated we can be victorious knowing that God is going to not only see us through it but that we will be better because of it.

Romans 8:28 CSB

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Let’s not forget what God’s word says and know that as we pursue his calling for our lives we can claim victory knowing that He will work everything out for our good.

The third thing that we have victory over is…

Victory Over Death

Now I am not saying that because we are saved we aren’t going to die, we all know that death as tragic as it is is a part of life and if Jesus doesn’t return we will all face it.

What I am saying though is that we don’t have to fear death, through Jesus Christ we have victory over death, it is not the end for us.

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 CSB

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Before Jesus Christ died for us, we owed the debt for our sins, death was something to be feared, it was the victory for the enemy because of the sin in our lives, he had us all and we would have been eternally punished.

But God had other plans and when Jesus was resurrected from the dead he claimed victory over death so that now even if we die when Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will rise first and then everyone else will join with them and we who are perishable and mortal will be changed into imperishable and immortal and we will spend eternity with our Father.

Death has no victory anymore because our sins are forgiven.

I want to share 1 more scripture to help drive this point home.

Philippians 3:18–21 CSB

For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things, Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

These verses are another example of how we will be transformed (resurrected) by God, because as Christians our citizenship is in heaven, and we will be made new again into heavenly bodies.

No longer bound by the flesh and no longer having to worry about sickness or death.

Because through Jesus Christ’s resurrection we have victory over death.

In closing, I want to give you some next steps on how to apply this to your life.

First and foremost, if you are listening to this message and you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to do so now, don’t wait any longer.

If you are living in defeat and want to claim victory through Jesus Christ, I ask that you raise your hand and I will lead you in a prayer…

Secondly, if you are listening and you already call yourself a follower of Christ I encourage you to stop living in defeat, use the verses that I shared or find some for yourself, there are so many verses in God’s word that can remind you of the victories that you have through Jesus Christ.

I also want to encourage you with on last passage that will help you withstand the attacks of the enemy, most of us are familiar with the armor of God. I want to read it in 2 different versions.

Ephesians 6:10–18 CSB

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

I also want to read this in the message version because I love the way it words this passage

Ephesians 6:10–18 MSG

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Use all the tools that God has given you and live victoriously!

Prayer of Blessing