Fifteen Round Victory over Satan
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
This message is taken from a sermon I heard, where the preacher compared our Christian lives to a fifteen round boxing match. He said that we have the power of God in us, but we also have a sinful nature. He further said that the Lord will give us the endurance to finish the fight, and if we finish, we are guaranteed victory.
The first step is to learn how to fight this spiritual war, to let Christ fight for us. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:14). We fight this spiritual war just like a boxer fights, with wisdom and the coach’s guidance. We also fight with wisdom and with God’s coaching through the Spirit. If we are not still inside, it will difficult to receive God’s wisdom and guidance. Whenever we forget to listen for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance, we attempt to fight our opponent, Satan, with our own power. This is when we get knocked down; God will not let us get knocked unconscious, but will lift us up stronger and with more determination.
In the early rounds of our spiritual walk we may get knocked down quite often, but a good fighter never gives up, especially when he knows that he has the power to beat the opponent. In fact, God has the power to let us go through fifteen rounds without getting knocked down. My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son (Hebrews 12:5-6). The Lord disciplines us when we get knocked down. We get tired of the opponent sending us to the floor and we come to realize that when we depend on the Lord to fight for us, and we follow the Spirit, we are guaranteed victory.
We are guaranteed victory if we never give up and keep fighting with Godly wisdom. If a boxer keeps getting floored by a left hook, he learns to protect his left side by covering up, moving to the right, ducking, or whatever it takes to avoid being floored again by the left hook. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Just as the boxer trains to avoid the left hook, we have to train to avoid yielding to the temptation. God limits Satan’s power because God knows what temptations we can bear, and when we find the escape and experience victory, we celebrate with freedom in Christ.
Today, celebrate because you know you have victory in the fifteen round spiritual fight. Recognize that your victory celebration will be in heaven with the Lord. Never get discouraged. If Satan knocks you down, let the Lord lift you up with more wisdom, guidance, and determination. Depend on the Lord and he will be there, putting divine knock-out power in your punches.
Let’s Pray: Lord, thank you for fighting my battles and giving me victory in Christ. Help me to let Christ fight through me by following my coach, the Holy Spirit. Give me a spirit of victory, and the willingness to fully depend on you for this victory. In Jesus name, Amen