The Victory of a Christian
The Victory of a Christian
Romans 12:19-21
June 8, 2008
We have been studying Romans 12, and it began
With one of the most applicable truths in all of Scripture.
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
The implication is obvious.
Are you thankful to God for forgiving your sin?
Are you appreciative of His great mercy?
Then “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Sacrifice for God, that is how you show Him gratitude.
And recently we have even been looking at some practical ways
In which we can do that.
1) The Purity of a Christian
Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”
If you want to tell God “Thank You”,
Love Him with all your heart. Hate what He hates, Love what He loves.
2) The Brotherly Love of A Christian
Romans 12:10-13 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”
If you truly want to tell God “Thank You”,
Love your brother with Commitment, Composure, and Contribution.
3) The Attitude of a Christian
Romans 12:14-16 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.”
If you truly want to tell God “Thank You”,
Have Jesus attitude to the Hostile, the Happy, the Hurting, & the Helpless
4) The Forgiveness of a Christian
Romans 12:17-18 “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
If you want to tell God “Thank You”
Walk in the forgiveness of God.
If you will do that.
It will be more acceptable to God
Than if you sing every song in that hymn book.
It is what we call worship.
It is when we lay down our lives for God’s glory.
There is no higher form of worship than obedience to God.
This morning we look at the final area.
The final thing Paul commands if you truly want to tell God “Thank You” for all that He has done for you.
This morning we talk about THE VICTORY OF A CHRISTIAN.
DOES IT SURPRISE YOU TO KNOW THAT LIVING A VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A FORM OF WORSHIP TO GOD?
It shouldn’t.
Throughout Scripture God begs His people to be victorious.
It is obvious that the Christian life is met with conflict.
Christian struggles are referred to throughout the Scriptures.
Sometimes these conflicts are referred to with sports analogies.
We are all familiar with Paul’s passage about running with aim.
We are all familiar with the writer of Hebrews asking us to “run with endurance.”
Sometimes these conflicts are referred to with working analogies.
Paul tells Timothy to “Take Pains” with his preaching.
1 Corinthians 15 says our “labor is not in vain”
Paul said, “I labored even more than all of them,”
But without a doubt, the most stirring analogies used in Scripture
Is the analogy that the Christian life is literally a war.
WE ARE AT WAR
1 Timothy 1:18-19 “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight”
2 Timothy 2:4 “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
As believers you and I are at war in this world.
BUT NOT THE TYPE OF WAR YOU MIGHT IMMEDIATELY THINK.
We ARE NOT fighting a physical war against non-believers.
For even when Jesus was before Pilate He said:
John 18:36 “Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."
Our war is different.
It is a spiritual war, and the enemy is sin.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
You and I are fighting daily in a war against sin.
AND IT IS A FIERCE BATTLE
Remember what Paul said?
Romans 7:18-19 “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”
Romans 7:23 “but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.”
Paul recognized a war in his life.
It is an INWARD war, that we fight personally.
James 4:1 “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?”
1 Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”
The enemy is sin;
Each day it plots, schemes and wages war against your soul.
It’s weapons are temptation,
And it claims victory any time it can get you to yield up ground.
WE ARE CALLED TO HAVE VICTORY OVER THAT BATTLE
AND OUR VICTORY IS CONSIDERED WORSHIP TO GOD.
BUT WHY IS THAT CONSIDERED WORSHIP TO GOD?
Because the only way you or I could ever claim victory
Is by surrendering to the will of God in our lives.
It is the death of Jesus, and the power of His indwelling Spirit
That gives us an opportunity for victory.
Romans 8:3-4 “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
The only way you or I can have victory
Is if we have God’s Holy Spirit, and if we submit to Him.
That is why Paul would go on to say:
Romans 8:12-14 “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
And again:
Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
You and I are called to let God do as He desires in our lives.
To not let sin win, but to victorious over temptation.
This victory is achieved according to His will, and by His strength,
And therefore is done for His glory.
THE POINT:
When you and I achieve victory in life, it is pleasing to God,
Because it only occurs when we walk in total submission to Him.
This is why, as a form of worship, Paul tells us to walk in victory.
The main thrust is found in verse 21,
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
You will notice that Paul uses the word “overcome” twice.
Once it refers to what we are not to allow.
Once it refers to what we are commanded to do.
“Overcome” translates NIKAO
And it literally means to be victorious over.
It comes from the root word NIKE
Which literally means victory.
(It is where Nike got the name for their shoes)
It is used many places in Scripture.
Perhaps you remember Jesus telling each of the 7 churches in Revelation, “To him who overcomes…”
It should come as no surprise
That the ultimate overcomer was Jesus.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
Revelation 5:5 “and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
And now, because of Jesus, WE ARE ABLE TO OVERCOME.
1 John 5:4-5 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
And so you understand what Paul is referring to, when he says,
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
And so the command is simple.
In order to tell God “Thank You” for what He has done.
In order to lay our lives on His altar…
THEN DO NOT LET SIN DEFEAT YOU, RATHER YOU DEFEAT SIN.
In our text, Paul gives two other commands
That serve as good illustrations for practical ways to do this.
In order to DEMONSTRATE this command
Paul picks an situation that we have all walked through,
And one that is very difficult to handle correctly.
THE SITUATION PAUL USES:
Is how to handle it when someone wrongs you.
HOW DO I WALK IN VICTORY IN THAT SITUATION?
It is one of the toughest situations to live like a Christian
We ever find ourselves in.
I would even say that this battle has one of the lowest victory rates
Of any other situation, Christians find themselves in.
So we don’t have to wonder why Paul chose it as an illustration.
And this morning, by using it, we will see how to walk in victory.
So let’s look at those two commands this morning.
#1 “DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL”
Romans 12:19
Paul tells us “Do not be overcome by evil.”
In a warfare sense,
It would be the command given to the soldiers who keep the fort.
The enemy is charging, the cannons are blazing,
And all along the general commands you to hold your ground
And refuse to be overcome by the attack of the enemy.
That is precisely what we are called to do in our struggle against sin.
“Do not be overcome by evil.”
And Paul gives a very fitting instance
In which you and I can keep from having evil overcome us.
“Never take your own revenge, beloved,”
Human nature is to get even with a person who wrongs you.
Human nature is to make someone pay for what they did to you.
Now it is important to note, that Paul IS NOT promoting a world in which sinners get off scot free with absolutely no consequences.
For Paul does say, “but leave room for the wrath of the God”
And Paul bases this on the Old Testament scripture (Deuteronomy 32:35)
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”
We are not talking about a person getting off scot free.
In fact, the very next chapter in Romans mentions one avenue
In which God dispenses His righteous judgment.
Romans 13:3-4 “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”
Civil government is ordained by God as a punisher of evil.
In fact, that is one of the only legitimate roles of the government.
Fines – Imprisonment – Death Penalty
So Paul is not advocating criminals getting off without punishment
Paul IS saying is for you and I to exercise some self control
And to keep from taking matters into our own hands.
“Never take your own revenge, beloved,”
When someone wrongs you, it is human nature to immediately,
And often harshly to make sure a person gets punished.
It is a strong temptation that Satan hits you with.
And therein lies the battle.
Someone wrongs you and immediately you are at war.
Not with the person who wronged you,
But you are immediately at war with sin.
SIN WANTS YOU TO GET EVEN WITH THAT PERSON.
At that moment, God is calling you to refuse to lose.
“Do not be overcome with evil,” “Never take your own revenge, beloved”
If you bow to sin, and you give in to the temptation,
You are only doing what any lost person could do,
And hence you are doing nothing for the glory of God.
There is no worship in that.
But When you refuse to let sin master you,
When you refuse to let sin win the day,
When you swallow the anger, and put aside the malice,
When you choose to trust God instead.
Your sacrifice, your victory is
“acceptable to God as your spiritual service of worship.”
Do not let evil conquer you.
“Do not be overcome by evil”
A great picture of this is seen in the Revelation.
In the tribulation there will come a severe time of temptation on the earth.
The temptation will be to sell your soul for a piece of bread.
Revelation 13:16-17 “And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.”
Victory is found in those who refuse to let temptation win.
Victory is found in those who refuse to be intimidated into heresy.
And in fact, many will be victorious unto death,
And we see them later in the book.
Revelation 15:2 “And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.”
John saw heaven, and in heaven were those
Who had been victorious (NIKAO) over the beast.
They were victorious because they did not allow him to overcome them.
And so you understand the point.
“Do not be overcome by evil”
#2 “OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD”
Romans 12:20
Here Paul gives the opposite example.
There are two sides to every battle.
Sometimes we get in a fort and refuse to allow the enemy to take it,
But sometimes we charge the fort of another army.
It is an active position in battle.
That is what Jesus spoke of.
Matthew 16:18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
And that is what Paul speaks of here.
And the example he gives is “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
This is without a doubt, the “extra mile” that Jesus spoke of.
It carries the same connotation
Of a command we have already studied.
Romans 12:14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
But the focus here is not just on the action,
But on the victory of the moment.
For Paul mentions that if we will overcome their evil with good,
“you will heap burning coals on his head.”
(i.e. LEAD THEM TO REPENTANCE)
And so the focus is on victory.
“overcome evil with good.”
And Revelation also gives us a wonderful example
Of people who did this.
Revelation 14:1-5 “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.”
Regardless of the temptation, they remained pure.
Regardless of the intimidation, they remained faithful.
Regardless of the hardship, they continued to worship.
“These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.”
They overcame evil with good.
This is what God wants from you as worship of Him.
If you desire to tell Him “Thank You” for His great mercy.
Then live in PURITY
Live in BROTHERLY LOVE
Live with A CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE
Live in FORGIVENESS
AND WALK IN VICTORY OVER SIN.
TODAY IF YOU WISH TO WORSHIP GOD,
THEN LIVE YOUR LIFE IN THE VICTORY HE HAS PROVIDED.
Jesus died on the cross to remove your sin.
The Holy Spirit dwells in you to give you victory over the sinful flesh.
Worship God by following their lead.
This morning, if you don’t know how to walk in victory,
Then let me show you.
Revelation 12:10-11 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
To walk in victory,
You need to give your life to Jesus
“the blood of the Lamb.”
You need to publicly confess Jesus as Lord.
“the word of their testimony.”
You need to persevere to the end.
“did not love their life even when faced with death.”
THIS MORNING
Have you ever surrendered your life to Jesus Christ?
Have you made a public declaration of your submission to Him?
Are you committed to follow Him publicly no matter the cost?
That is victory, and to live your life like that
Is what it means to worship God.
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”