LIVING A VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE – PART ONE

I will be speaking on: Living A Victorious Christian Life. And we have three short scriptures to read: the first one is from Romans 8:37

Romans 8:37

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

1 Corinthians 15:57

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And finally, 2 Corinthians 2:14

2 Corinthians 2:14

¹⁴ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Living A Victorious Christian Life

PRAYER:

Father, we ask for the presence and power of Your Spirit now, asking that He would cause Your Words to come alive and bless my friends in radioland, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

I want to say it is possible to live a victorious Christian life. It is not only possible – it is also probable that we will live a victorious Christian life; because it is not everything that is possible that is probable. You may be wondering, what is he saying? It is possible for God to part the Atlantic Ocean, but it is not probable that He would do it when I ask Him to. Living a victorious Christian life is not only possible, it is not only probable – it is desirable. You’ll see why it is desirable by the time we finish.

Some may ask, but why talk of victorious Christian life or victorious Christian living when the Christian life by its very nature is supposed to be a victorious life? You are right! But the truth of the matter is: we have come to need qualifiers for the word Christian today. And that is because of the unfortunate realities of the times in which we live. Another such qualifier is born-again – born-again Christian. You are either a Christian or you are not. A Christian is one who has been born again or born from above. But, we have come to need that qualifier; because today a number of people may claim to be Christians while they are not. There is so much confusion and embarrassment because the word Christian has been abused and misused to the point of confusion and embarrassment, in a number of quarters.

Speaking of embarrassment, I have a friend who had a television ministry. I won’t name the city in Nigeria. And his messages were well received. His ministry was effective. But another minister of the Gospel, because he had more money than him, went to the station, offered more money to take his place; and the station manager said, “It is unethical for me to do that” and turned him down. But the embarrassing thing about this is this, that the station manager was not a Christian. He was a Muslim.

So how can we talk of being Christians? Then when it comes to conduct we do not represent Christ. Permit me to ask the following questions as we consider living a victorious Christian life:

I want to ask, who is a Christian?

What does the Christian need to get victory over?

Why is it necessary to gain this victory?

Why is living a victorious Christian life desirable?

And finally, how can a Christian live a victorious life?

1. Who is a Christian?

The confusion and embarrassment I alluded to earlier has made it imperative to ask that question. Or, you can put it differently, what does it mean to be a Christian? Is a Christian one who says he or she is one some men who have married their fellow men also claim to be Christians, some women who have married their fellow women also claim to be Christians? Is a Christian one who says, I am a Christian. Or is a Christian one who has been baptized in water, either as an infant or as an adult, either by sprinkling effusion or pouring water on you or by immersion? Is that what makes one a Christian? Is a Christian one who goes to church regularly? Is a Christian one who keeps the laws of God as best as he or she can, one whose good deeds far outweigh his bad deeds? Is that what a Christian is? Is a Christian one who supports the work of God financially by paying tithe, offering and church dues – and doing that faithfully? Is that what makes one a Christian? Is a Christian one who fasts for a long time, prays for a long time and reads the bible regularly? Not really!

To be a Christian means to be like Christ; for this word, Christian, was a nickname given to followers of Jesus Christ, by people who observed their lives. In Acts 11:26 we were told that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Oswald Chambers, who lived 1874-1917, was a Scottish Christian Author. He was the writer of the popular devotional: My Utmost for His Highest. Oswald Chamber said: “The true pattern for the experience of the Christian is the life of Christ. The Christian ideal is not the outward and literal imitation of Jesus, but the living out of the Christ Life implanted within by the Holy Spirit.”

The living out of the Christ Life implanted within by the Holy Spirit, not the imitation of Christ.

Some people fool themselves by trying to imitate Christ. They ask the questions, what would Jesus do under this circumstance? You are trying to imitate Christ. It is by the implanted life that is within. If the life of Christ has not been implanted in you by the Holy Spirit, you are not a Christian – and you cannot live a Christian life.

The Lord Jesus said:

Matthew 10:24-25

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master…

And the only way a disciple of Christ would be like his or her Master, Jesus Christ, is by the indwelling presence of Christ. It is by the life of Christ implanted within by the Holy Spirit. That’s why we read in Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul says:

Galatians 2:20

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

The life of Christ is implanted within by the Holy Spirit at the moment of the New Birth, at the time one repents and believes in Jesus Christ – the life of Christ is implanted in you.

That’s what servant of God puts it: Jesus became what we are to make us what He is.

That’s why,

2 Corinthians 5:21

²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

And in John 1, this familiar scripture, verses 12 and 13, we read:

John 1:12-13

¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The one that is born of God – born from above – born by the agency of God Himself has a new nature: the Nature of God in him – according to 1 John 3:9 where it says, ⁹ Whoever has been born of God does not sin [present tense, in the Greek and also in the English – which means: does not habitually live in sin, does not practice sin, does not live the life of a sinner] , for His seed remains in him [that’s why]; and he cannot [habitually live in] sin, because he has been born of God.

It is impossible for a Christian to habitually live in sin. And in fact, John says, Anyone who lives like that is of the devil – is a liar – is not a Christian.

Who is a Christian?

When we get this right, then we can proceed to see what it means to live a victorious Christian life.

But friend, are you a Christian? Or do you claim to be one? I want to appeal to you, if the Spirit of God convicts you, tells you that you are not a Christian, it is in your best interest to give your life to Christ now. He is the Way; He is the Truth; He is the Life. No one can come to the Father except by Him. He is the only way to heaven. Give your life to Christ, friend.

PRAYER:

Father, I want to commit into Your hands my friends whom Your Spirit is touching now. And as they yield themselves to You, You will receive them as promised. Give them assurance of salvation; give them power to live the life of Christ. Destroy every work of Satan in them, as You said in Your Word, that Jesus was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil in men and women, boys and girls. Let this be so for my friends who are receiving the Savior now. Even for those who have already received Him, is there any work of Satan that is hindering them from living victoriously, destroy such work, we pray in Jesus mighty Name. Amen!