The Victorious Life
Notes
Transcript
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Losing only happens if we allow it
Losing a battle should not keep us down
Winning is our GOD-given status
Winning motivates us to win more
Winning happens with when we use the right strategy
The intent of this message is helping us to live the victorious life. While that includes the eschatological or last day victory, my primary focus will be on living in our victory every single day. Moreover my aim is to make sure every child of GOD lives every day with the complete mindset of the champions that we are!
Losing only happens if we allow it
But to understand and appreciate and live a victorious life, I think it is important to understand a few things about losing. Paul here in verse 21 gives a conclusive summary of what the Christian’s character ought to be. In conclusion, he says “Do not be overcome”. Paul uses overcome twice in this text. Which is a word describing the results of a conflict or competition or fight. He says “not overcome”, which simply means to “lose”. Now it says “not BE overcome”. It is an imperative verb, which indicates a duty toward some action. But it is passive, which means Paul is not indicating what he doesn’t want them doing, rather he is stating what they shouldn’t let happen to them!!
Application: My father used to tell us a lot that “people will only do to you what you let them do”. It is the same in every bout against evil, it will and can only do what we allow it to do. What that means is because we are in Christ, we have power to not just let things happen. That means as a champ, there can be no passivity or acceptance or complacency with being a loser.
Losing a battle should not keep us down
But the word overcome is also a present tense verb. Which means Paul expects this to be durative, an every day thing. It is also singular which means an instance of losing. In addition, the term “by” means under something, and it is used instrumentally with the term evil. Putting it all together, what Paul is saying is stop letting evil knock you down and stand over you every day, as if it is superior over who you are!!
Application: If we were honest with ourselves and God, every now and again we do let evil things knock us down. Some days, I allow evil to get the best of me. Some days I say some words, and they are not pretty, and its like evil did a sweep kick, and stood over me. Other days I let my ego trip, and I get to thinking to highly of Laron, and its like I just got spiritually body slammed. Listen, we have and will lose some battles. There are times when we won’t be on our toes, and we get caught slipping. Am I right about it.
And our contender has absolutely no sportsmanship. It taunts us, ridicules us, and the whole 9. And when we’ve loss so many daily, monthly, or yearly battles, along with all that ridicule, we can get caught up in a psychological cycle of loss.
Illustration: Studies have shown, that with some people, there is a strong mental affect after losing that can become a cycle. After losing, frustration levels soar, then shame sets in, then hopelessness, self-criticism, depression, and then entrapment, which is a continuation of loss.
Application: What that looks like with evil, is we begin to view or behave toward certain evil as if we are losers. Failures. There’s no use, because I’ve done this evil for so long, and it keeps knocking me down. But my father used to also say, the difference between failing and failure is that failure is when we give up. It is being trapped in a state of loss. Failing though, is if I am knocked down, once or even far more than once, I’m getting back up, every single time!! Why, because we are not losers!!
Winning is our GOD-given status
Paul knows this too. He gives the alternative, saying “But” “Overcome”. Paul can give this instruction, not as a code or guideline, but because it is the status we hold being united in Christ.
Illustration: In 1971, the company “Blue Ribbon Sports” changed its name to Nike. Since then, Nike has been one of the biggest sponsors in sports. They sponsor many celebrity and top level athletes, champions in various sports leagues. Well one drive behind the name change, is that Nike was the Greek goddess of victory. In myth, she was said to fly around battlefields awarding winners with glory and fame. And was depicted with famous Greek athletes, to commemorate their victories, and in sculpture to commemorate victories in war and competition.
Application: Why is that relevant Bro. Evans? Because the word overcome or conquer in the text, is the verb form of the Greek word Nike!! It is a symbol of victory!! We already have our Spiritual Nike gear on. It’s not because of the mythological goddess, but the almighty GOD. Paul in another context says we are more than conquerors through GOD who loves us. John, in 1 John, ch 5:4 says every child of God has won against the evil world, and this is our Nike, our faith!!!
Winning motivates us to win more
But here too, the term overcome is in the present tense and it’s singular. Which means winning, victory, and overcoming is still an every day ordeal and its battle by battle. And when I decide to get up, dust myself off, and when I win one time, it motivates more. Converse to the losing cycle, when I win, euphoria (extreme joy and excitement), then confidence, a sense superiority, and continued success.
Application: We gotta get out there, and win one battle against evil! When we do, we are reflecting the status GOD has blessed us with in Christ!
Winning happens with when we use the right strategy
But how do we do it according to this passage? Because to win in any single battle requires the right strategy. I intentionally waited to address in detail the terms evil and good in the text. Evil is anything that is morally displeasing to GOD. Good is all that is morally acceptable to GOD. What’s difficult to get, unless you see the Greek sentence, is that both terms really have a definite article. Which means it is really saying “the evil” and “the good”. Although the phrase seems general, evil and good are specific. That means the way to beat a specific evil, we must use a specific good!! That’s the strategy.
Why? Because evil doesn’t stand a chance against good. Good is undefeated. Why? Because all that is good comes from GOD. GOD is the source. And GOD is undefeated. He is unconquerable!!!
Hear Paul in Eph 4 - Steal no longer. But work with your hands, so you can share.
Hear him earlier in this context: Don’t curse folk who persecute, but bless.
When evil thoughts make you feel like life isn’t worth it. My bible speaks about a good hope!! The good fight of faith!! A love that will never pass away!! The will of GOD is described as a good will!! The word of GOD will never pass away!! Our savior is the one who died, but was resurrected and lives forever.
Conclusion: That’s how we live each day in the victory GOD has given us. If you are Christ, you are not a loser, but a winner, victorious. We are going to have our days of loss, but get back up! All we do is win, because of GOD!! Somebody might not have their spiritual Nike on. Listen, when the spiritual award show happens, you don’t wanna be without yo victory suit on!! If you want it on, you gotta be in the one who gained the victory!!