It was not the first time I heard it. Everywhere, stuffs are being celebrated as victory. A new house, new car, new jobs are celebrated as victory. But Jesus said in Revelation 3:5 (NKJV) "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” If we take these words from Jesus seriously, we will need to ask, is acquisition of a new house or car the victory that will clothe one with white and prevent ones name from being deleted from the book of life? How many financial breakthroughs, escape from death, promotion in our career, etc. will qualify us as overcomers? Could our victory be about something else, something that we do not commonly celebrate as victory, yet in the eyes of Jesus that is true victory?
Since it is overcomers or the victorious that will be in heaven, it follows that it is those that have been overcome or defeated that will be found in Hell. Hell is for failures and the defeated while heaven is for the victorious and overcomers. Jesus made it clear to us that people can gain the whole world yet are losers in hell. In Mark 8:36 (NKJV) Jesus said "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" In other words, gaining the whole world is not victory in the eyes of Jesus. Buying a new house, gaining promotion in career or winning a mighty contract are not victories in Jesus eyes because they have no value in eternity. However, what you use your house to do, has value in eternity and can be a victory for you. If you use your house to serve the Lord, it will be a victory for you. If you use your cars to serve the Lord, it will be a victory for you. We are all stewards of what God has given us. When we use what we have been given to serve God who is the owner, we are victorious. However, Satan want us to serve self. The entire world system is designed for serving self. If we fall into the trap of serving self, we have been defeated by the world.
So, what we overcome as children of God is not primarily poverty, sickness or death but the world. The bible says in 1 John 5:4 (NKJV) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith." Our victory is a strong faith in Jesus that overcomes the system of doing and valuing things called the WORLD. Jesus also overcame this system of doing and valuing things called the world. He said in John 16:33 (NKJV) "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
The world is a system of doing and valuing things that is organized in opposition to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Satan's strategy is to use everything at his disposal to pressure you into accepting the world's way of doing and valuing things. Your financial difficulties, delays in getting someone to marry, ungodly conditions for promotion, sickness and disease, lack of suitable accommodation, unfair treatment at work, difficulty in getting university admission or job, are all tools Satan wants to use to get you to bow to the world system of doing and valuing things. Your victory therefore is in staying true to Jesus and refusing to bow to the world. This is the true victory that heaven acknowledges. This is what Jesus want us to see and accept as victory. He or she that overcomes this world system, is an overcomer and is born of God.
Therefore, those that enjoy promotion after compromising their faith have been defeated. Those that got someone hooked for marriage after submitting to fornication have been defeated. Those that got contracts after bribing officials have been defeated. Those that got houses after an illegal deal have been defeated. Their defeat is not in their desire for these things but in submitting to the system of the world in order to have them, that system that invite us to prioritize for the pleasure of self over the pleasure of God. Fortunately all is not lost, they can come back into winning ways if they repent and start obeying Jesus as their Lord.
According to the scriptures, the entire world system is controlled by three things, Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes and Pride of Life. When one is overcome by these things, that person cannot have the love of the Father in him rather it is the love of self that will prevail. This is why we are commanded, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1Jn 2:15-16 NIV).
As those that are truly born of God, let’s celebrate telling the truth more than buying a car. Let’s celebrate integrity more than wealth. Let’s promote kindness more than purchases. Let’s celebrate humility above worldly status. Let’s promote sexual purity above wedding glamour. Let’s celebrate the day we were born again above the day we were born in the flesh, for what is born of flesh is flesh but what is born of Spirit is spirit. Let’s reprogram ourselves using heaven’s value system. It is then that the Church victory over the world will manifest with a brilliance that will make nations arise to the brightness of our arising. God bless you.
Written by Ifiok J. Ukobo
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