It does not take much looking around these days to see that people are carrying some heavy loads. Some are burdened by things that happened years ago. Some are doing their best just to make it through the week. Others are worried sick about what lies ahead. No matter where you look, people are searching for some kind of victory.
The good news is that real victory is not found in ourselves. It is found in Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is a wonderful reminder that victory is not something we work up on our own. It is not found in will power, self-help or positive thinking. Victory is something God gives, and He gives it through His Son.
One of the sweetest truths in the Christian life is that the Lord gives victory over the past. A lot of people live under the weight of yesterday. Some are haunted by sin. Some are troubled by failures. Some carry regrets, heartaches and scars that never seem to go away. The devil has a way of whispering reminders of what we used to be, what we used to do and where we used to go. He loves to keep people looking backward.
But when a person comes to Jesus Christ, the past does not have to control him anymore. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Thank God for that. Salvation is not just turning over a new leaf. It is receiving a new life. Through Christ, sin can be forgiven, guilt can be washed away and a man or woman can have a brand-new standing before God. The past may still be part of your story, but it does not have to be the sentence over your life.
The Lord not only gives victory over the past, but He also gives victory in the present. Now anybody who has lived very long knows that life is not easy. Even saved people have battles. We still face temptation, sorrow, disappointment, fear and pressure. There are days when the burdens are heavy and the road is rough. Being a Christian does not mean we never struggle. It means we do not have to struggle alone.
That is why Romans 8:37 is such a blessing: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” I am glad that verse says in all these things. The Lord does not always take us around the trial, but He will walk with us through it. He gives strength for today. He gives peace in the storm. He gives grace for the hard place. He gives help when we feel weak and weary. Through Christ, we do not have to live a defeated life day after day. There is victory for the present hour.
Then there is the wonderful promise of final victory in the future. For the child of God, this world is not all there is. Thank the Lord, the story does not end with sickness, sorrow, suffering or death. Because Jesus rose from the dead, those who know Him have a better day coming. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:54, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” What a promise that is. For the saved, the grave is not the end. It is only the doorway to something far better. There is coming a day when every burden will be laid down, every tear will be wiped away, and every battle will be over forever.
What a comfort it is to know that in Christ there is grace for yesterday, strength for today and hope for tomorrow! We can look back without being destroyed, live in the present without being defeated, and face the future without being afraid. In a world where so many people are searching for peace, the answer is still the same as it has always been. Real victory is found in Jesus Christ.
And thank God, He still gives victory today.
