“As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:36-39
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelations 12:11
Sparkling Advent #11: The Gift of Victory (Romans 8:36-39, Revelations 12:11)
I’m going to let you in on a little secret about me: I love to win. When I was growing up and even into early adulthood, no one ever wanted to play games with me even though I loved to play board games and card games. I would play to win like it was the most important thing in the world and was a sore loser. Victory at any cost!
I have tried really hard to curb this tendency in myself when playing games with family and friends so I won’t be insufferable to be around anymore. In my spiritual life, I am learning that being victorious is not dependant on my abilities or strength. My victory in this life and the next is about what Jesus did far more than what i have done or will ever done.
The Blood of the Lamb
Jesus allowed His blood to be spilled on my behalf. I am deserving of death because of my sin, yet Jesus took on the penalty of my wrongdoing. He is called the sacrificial Lamb in reference to the Old Testament sacrifice system.
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelations 12:11
The Word of Our Testimony
The word of our testimony is powerful. What we say with our mouths is important. Our words carry weight and spiritual significance.
“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:9-10
Our victory comes through a partnership that is established when we believe and confess that Jesus has paid the price for our sin through his death on the cross and has risen in victory over the grave.
His nearness
We are more than conquerors, victorious in life, when we stay close to God. We stay soaked in HIs Word, connected to HIm in prayer, and aware that nothing can separate us from Him.
“As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:36-39
His nearness is our secret weapon to winning. Our victory is a gift from God.
Action Step:
Do you feel like you are winning at life? If not, maybe you need to take a look at how you define victory. Is it in material accomplishments or through staying connected to Jesus? Or, maybe you are trying too hard to do it all alone. Let’s remember His nearness that brings us victory and start sharing our testimony of His goodness to us. We can claim victory back again this Christmas!
Follow @devoinaction on Facebook and join in the conversation about each post in this series. Please feel free to share a pic of your Bible entry and share your thoughts on the scripture in each devotional. Or, tag me @devoinaction on Instagram. The hashtag for this series is #sparklingadvent
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank You for the blood of Jesus that paid for my victory over sin. Help me to use my words powerfully to affirm my belief in You. Remind me that You are always near and that nothing can separate me from Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Check out the video on YouTube:
Don’t miss out on all the freebies!
For access to the free printables to use in Bible art journaling, click here: https://www.devotioninaction.com/resourcelibrary/
If you don’t have access yet to the Resource Library, find out how to get free access HERE!