The War is Already Won

On my way home from work today, I was listening to this song...

...and I was totally hit by the lyrics.

They are not very complex. They are all words that have been said before. But, sometimes, God needs to slam a concept into the front of your brain. That's when you have one of those, "Ohhhh...." moments.

I love the fact that I can claim this song as true in my life--so many things are vying for my heart, but Christ already fought and won the battle long ago on the cross. Oftentimes, we are confronted with a prosperity gospel, but there is a very certain lie at the heart of the message: "You just need to follow God a certain way, and then He will bless you so that your bank accounts will be overflowing because that is who He is and what He can do." He CAN do that. He just never promised that He would.

Instead, He promised that He would care for us, just as He cares for all of His creatures and instructed us to focus on obeying Him and our impact on eternity (Matthew 6:25-33). To Israel, God often promised abundance of crops and food and children, but for disciples of Christ we are not promised such earthly things; yet, we are assured of an abundance of these three things (at least):

1. Life
   "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." --John 10:9-11
2. Joy
   " These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." --John 15:11
   "Though you have not seen [Christ], you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." --1 Peter 1:8-9
3. Power
   "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." --2 Timothy 1:7
   "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." --1 Corinthians 15:56-58

It can be so easy to feel like we are failing and we are the only ones who don't have it all together. But we know that the hard part--the battle--has already been fought for us. We just need to live in light of that victory!

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