What a Victory We Have in Jesus! Part Two

I Corinthians 15:57, 58

In New Orleans we lived on the battlefield where on January 8, 1815, Major General Andrew Jackson and 5,000 men consisting of rag-tag regiments from Kentucky and Tennessee along with pirates of the sea under the command of Jean Laffite defended the city. They were opposed by 8,000 crack British forces, considered the best army in the world.

Seven of Jackson’s men were killed, and over 700 British were killed. Jackson had six men wounded, and the British had over 1,400 wounded along with 500 captured. It was a remarkable victory for the forces led by Andrew Jackson and propelled him into national prominence.

The outcome of the battle did not have influence on the outcome of that war, the War of 1812, because a peace treaty had been signed two weeks earlier. News traveled so slowly the word had not been received in New Orleans. Even though the victory was assured, they fought as though the outcome of the war depended upon them.

A loss by Jackson would have been nullified by the winning of the war that had already occurred. However, it mattered to Jackson’s men that they be loyal.

Our beloved Lord Jesus Christ won for us the ultimate victory on Calvary many years ago. However, we must engage in the spiritual warfare of our day as though the outcome is dependent upon us.

In reality we do not fight for victory, but from victory. It is His victory in which we share.

It is Jesus who “keeps on giving” us the victory. That is present participle in the Greek, meaning ours is a continual victory. 

He is alive to meet us everyday. In this is found new power to stand firm amid the pressures of life — and they are many.

You need an awareness of His presence and power if you attempt to claim your victory daily in a world crowded with frustrating mean-spirited people who say cruel twisted things about people in an attempt to mask their own unhappiness.

Doing the work of the Lord does not give us permission to act like everybody else. In saving us He never gave us permission to breathe fire in a world of dragons.

I Corinthians 15: 58 opens with “Therefore.” It translates the Greek conjunction “hooste” meaning, “consequently.” As a consequence of the victory that is ours there is an appropriate response. “Be steadfast, unmovable…” is a present participle, meaning we are to be constantly stable. We are to “continue to stand” and “always abound.”  Keep on being steadfast and immovable. This gives no furloughs for fits of unfaithfulness. Repeat, “Be steadfast, unmovable…”