Victory!

We are called by God to do battle with the world. This world’s system would have us fear, love and trust in anything but the True and Living God. The long campaign for president is one indication. Many believers, unfortunately, feel that the survival of this country and even our existence is all tied up in the two men running for that office. The massive bailout of Wall Street investment banks which will tax us for many years was sold heavy to us as our only hope for financial survival.

The unbeliever will buy all this and we expect that. His or her god is money and what things it can do for them. This is idolatry and quite understandable since the unbeliever has no knowledge nor wants any of the real Creator and Redeemer. What is real amazing is the idolatry of those who confess Jesus as Saviour having open verbal confirmation of this fear, love and trust in our system of government and economy.

Psalm 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. ESV

Our only help is in the Lord the Creator. The Psalmist goes on to explain the Lord never slumbers or sleeps. We also see in scripture we are served and protected by God out of his pure goodness and for no gain for himself. How could he gain? Everything belongs to him.

How do we overcome this idolatry as baptized and believing children of God? Can we make up our mind to cease doing this sin? The law never gives power to stop sinning. If you go to the law for help in not having another God it will convict you “You shall not have other God’s in my face.” So what do we have in response?


1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ESV

The gift of faith we receive from our Father in heaven is what overcomes the world, our flesh and the devil. This section refers to obeying commandments. The flesh will grab onto that and say “Aha! Something I can do and feel proud of!” But then St John goes on to say that our faith overcomes the world. Our trust in Jesus. That is the commandment to which St John referred. So this obedience comes about by faith which was gifted us by our Father.

Trust only in the Holy and Innocent sufferings and death of Jesus overcomes sin. Repenting and receiving forgiveness breaks even the strongest hold sin has on us. The flesh hates repenting. Despises having to own up to wrongdoing. Will do everything to try to justify it and the world lends its two cents as well. But we are new creatures who love our Father, our Redeemer and Comforter and our heart is broken when we sin again and again. The good news is that God keeps on forgiving and cleansing us from all our sin.

Thanks be to God. †