1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the Victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Faith in Jesus Christ and His Sacrificial Work on the Cross of Calvary will overcome the world and all its evils. Satan is the Prince of the world and seeks to kill, steal, and destroy the faith in God’s people and bind them up in chains. Faith in the Victory Jesus gained on the Cross has the power to overcome the devil and break every chain he can throw on us.
Life is not easy. People hurt each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes this is intentional, and sometimes it is not. The fact is, it happens. If you have lived very long, you have been wounded, bruised, or brokenhearted by someone.
Due to these wounds and bruises, it’s easy to consider yourself a victim. It’s true, you have been victimized. We have all been victimized by experiences in our lives.
We have the choice to live our lives as a victim or not. There are millions of people in America who live as victims. This is their identity. A conversation with someone will quickly reveal their identity. Within a few sentences, you can determine how they perceive themselves. They will reveal to you their identity.
Someone who has been mistreated by their parents will identify themselves as just that, an abused child. One who has suffered at the hands of bullies will reveal quickly that they are the poor, beaten-down child who everyone has walked on their whole life. The drug addict is the victim of the person who first introduced them to drugs. The alcoholic is the victim of the one who first offered them a drink or their family genetics.
On and on it goes. Whatever it is, they see themselves as a victim. Life as a victim is a dead-end street. It goes nowhere. Victims wallow in self pity in search of those who will feel sorry for them and enable their behavior. In America today there are millions of people who have an “entitlement mentality.” Why? Because they are victims of society. Therefore, society owes them a living. This is a HUGE problem in our country today, but that is a topic for another day.
Many Christians live as victims because they do not understand the Victory that can be theirs if they will just allow the Holy Spirit to bring healing to their hearts. The longer one lives as a victim, the harder it is to get off that dead-end street.
Life as a victim will run you around in circles continually. The ONLY way out is faith in Jesus Christ and His Work on the Cross. He died for our Victory over sin, death, and the devil. He gave His Life that we may have Victory over everything and anything the devil can throw at us or try to weigh us down with.
Satan makes victims. Jesus makes VICTORS! Jesus described His Ministry in Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
Faith in Jesus is the only path to Victory. Any other form of counseling only ends in victimization, which is that dead-end street we’ve been discussing. Jesus declared Himself to be THE WAY. The ONLY Way. There’s Victory in Jesus. There’s Victory ONLY in Jesus. No psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, social, or governmental program will result in Victory. They all encourage and enable a victim mentality.
If you identify yourself as a victim of some mistreatment or life circumstance, it’s time to go to the Foot of the Cross of Christ and surrender it all to Jesus. He died that you may be set free. Living as a victim is a choice. You don’t have to live one more day as a victim. There is Victory for the believer! Praise God!
If you see yourself as a victim, respond to this message. We are here for you. Victory is in sight. It's time to get off that dead-end street.
Jesus is the Way. Only He can………….turn the tide
I choose Victory! Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
