Total Victory

Scripture: Deuteronomy 7

Introduction:  We remember those today who served their country and gave everything for it.  They all laid their lives on the line.  Some paid the ultimate sacrifice and others were spared.  They went forward with the firm intention of achieving total victory.  They had a cause which was larger than their own interests and one which was obviously worth the price.  As we remember them today we cannot hope to connect as intensely as those who lived through the conflict or those who lost loved ones but we stop to remind ourselves that we are the benefactors of those brave men and women who embarked upon the cause of driving out the nations.  Regaining lost territory.

Old Testament typology relates the conquest of the land of Canaan to our own spiritual struggle to achieve personal victory.  There are some who achieve this and others who seem to fall short of it.  If you are a child of God today who is living below your privilege then I hope to be able to communicate to you the components of spiritual conquest that may help you in your own walk.

Total Victory – verses 1-5

Christ has already achieved the victory.  The land has been conquered.  The difficult part for us is in the management of that which He has done.  We are dealing with a conquered foe.  Sometimes we deal with him as though he is the one who calls the shots.

In his book Forever Triumphant, F.J. Huegel told a story that came out of World War II.  After General Jonathan Wainwright was captured by the Japanese, he was held prisoner in a Manchurian concentration camp.  Cruelly treated, he became "a broken, crushed, hopeless, starving man."  Finally the Japanese surrendered and the war ended.  A United States army colonel was sent to the camp to announce personally to the general that Japan had been defeated and that he was free and in command.  After Wainwright heard the news, he returned to his quarters and was confronted by some guards who began to mistreat him as they had done in the past.  Wainwright, however, with the news of the allied victory still fresh in his mind, declared with authority, "No, I am in command here!  These are my orders."  Huegel observed that from that moment on, General Wainwright was in control.

   Huegel made this application:  "Have you been informed of the victory of your Savior in the greatest conflict of the ages?  Then rise up to assert your rights.  Never again go under when the enemy comes to oppress.  Claim the victory in Jesus' Name."  Huegel observed, "We must learn to stand on resurrection ground, reckoning dead the old-creation life over which Satan has power, and living in the new creation over which Satan has no power whatever."

See:  Eph 1:18-23; Eph 6:11-17; 1 John 5:4

No deals.  You don’t negotiate with a defeated enemy when unconditional surrender has already  been achieved.  The victor sets the terms. 

No mercy.  There are times when we can excuse ourselves in our failure.  I feel that this is the path to personal delusion.  When we find the strains of wickedness within we cannot excuse it or justify it.

No entanglements.  The pagan methods of total victory were to intermarry and assimilate the culture.  The Christian posture is to stand outside of it’s culture.  We do not base our convictions or our morality on the prevailing world view but on the timeless, unchanging principles of God’s Word. 

2 Tim. 2:3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. [4] No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer.

No spiritual flirtations.  While we are very conscious of the fact that we don’t have everything right, we do believe that in the faith essentials we are bang on.  We enjoy Christian fellowship freely with those who share in the essentials.  We clearly disagree with those who deny those things which are integral to the faith.  We accept and love all men regardless of their stance on any issue.

Total Devotion - verses 6-10

“He is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.”

God has given himself for you.  He has never held anything in reserve from us.

Total Obedience – verses 11- 16

“If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep His covenant of love with you .”

The heart of God desires to bless his people and does so as we serve Him.

Total Trust – verses – 17-26

“The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.”