Victory may be invisible ... for now

There’s only one Person who has ever been able to defeat Death, and He’s the same Person who defeated Sin too.

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)

What is victory? What does victory mean to you? If you’re in college, it will mean something very different than it does to someone who works a full-time job. Victory for a student is a passing grade; victory for a professional is a completed project or a positive evaluation.

Victory means different things to different people. But what does it mean to you? Because of all the gifts that God has given us, the idea of victory is the one that is the most personal.

We’re all fighting a war of some kind. We fight battles every day, standing up against our fallen natures and struggling against the flesh desires to strike back at the people around us. It’s so much easier to see people as the enemy because they are right in front of us. People are easy targets, but they aren’t our true enemy.

The ultimate battle we’re fighting is against Death. None of us are strong enough to fight it in our own strength. None of us can stop Death. Not even Satan himself. Because Death isn’t ceasing to exist; Death is eternal separation from God.

There’s only one Person who has ever been able to defeat Death, and He’s the same Person who defeated Sin too. And the wildest part? He’s made that power available to anyone who asks for it.

That’s victory, friends. And that is a victory you didn’t have to pay for. It’s a victory you didn’t sacrifice for. So when was the last time you thanked God for it?

Yes, be thankful for the good things in your life. Be thankful for food and provision and family and friends and all the wonderful gifts God has given you. But let’s not forget that there are intangible gifts God has given us as well—things that will last for eternity.

We can’t see them yet, but soon—sooner than we think—those intangible victories will be the only thing that matters. So let’s start thanking God for them now.

Questions for Reflection:

• What has God done for you today?

• What victory have you experienced recently?

• What is something you have today that you didn’t have yesterday?

Memory Verse: