VICTORY IS NEVER LATE, WHETHER IT COMES SOONER OR LATER. During World War II, especially after his initial victories, such as the defeat of France, Adolph Hitler genuine-ly believed he was winning the war, which boosted his confidence. However, it wasn’t long before he started making some crucial military and political mistakes, which led to Germany’s complete defeat. In fact, historians noted that by the time America was entering the war at the end of 1941, he had already lost.
After his early victories, things began to change. The military and generals recognized the growing impossibility of victory, particularly after the invasion of the Soviet Union and the defeat at Stalingrad. However, he considered his early victories as proof of his divine commission and superiority, ignoring military realities and dismissing his generals’ concerns until Germany was fully defeated by the Allies, and he committed suicide with his wife in his bunker in Berlin on April 30th, 1945, as Soviet troops closed in.
Throughout history, there have been many battles and wars in which one army seems to dominate, only to lose in the end.
As someone with an interest in sport, especially soccer, I have watched and heard of many games with one belief at the beginning, and another by the end – surprises, and so does life in this world, it may have surprises. With dominant punches, during a boxing match, one boxer was viciously hitting his opponent all over, and sure enough, got him to the floor several times. It was clear and safe to believe that the seemingly powerful one would win the match without struggle. Mentally, everybody has already declared him “the winner” even before the end. However, victory has a surprise for the end: A few minutes before the end, the battered and seemingly weak boxer stood firm, head straight, shoulders amplified, balancing on his legs, positioned and looking straight in those furious eyes of his opponent. He threw a last hopeless, yet secure and well-directed punch in those flaming red eyes of his rival, and at last, the adversary fell and was breathing rapidly. To the astonishment of every-body, the referee counted, counted, counted, and counted – But the seemingly winner couldn’t get off the floor. The referee held the hand of the seemingly loser a few minutes earlier up in the air, and declared him the winner.
Victory is victory, whether it comes sooner or later. And that’s how sometimes it will come into various areas of your life. Just because you can’t feel or perceive it, doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
Life may turn against you surprisingly with situations that can hit you hard at any time, for a short or long time, but it doesn’t mean they have won. Remember the old saying, “It’s not over until it’s over.”
According to the Merriam-Webster English Dictionary, victory “is the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist or the achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.”
Victory isn’t measured by how many times you have lost, failed, been attacked, where, how, why, and by whom or what. Moreover, even though humanity can put a time frame on victory because we live in time in this world, divinity is timeless, and what concerns God the most is the fulfillment of His purpose for everything and every person.
Victory According to God
The plan of God from the beginning was for man to “Be fruit-ful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28, NIV). In other words, man was given the earth to be his domain. However, the devil would enter the serpent and use it to mislead Eve, and she enticed the hus-band Adam to disobey God by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, about which God said, “for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17).
In effect, Adam and Eve lost the battle in the beginning, and the dominion God granted them on earth when He excluded them from the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:23-24). However, God had a plan to restore the dominion and authority to even the descendants of Adam and Eve. Four thousand (4,000) years later, a majestic, authoritative, and commanding voice sounded in the heavens, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Then a humble, lovely, convincing, yet powerful voice replied, “Here am I. Send me!” (Paraphrase from Isaiah 6:8, NIV). That voice was the voice of the only begotten Son of God. But how can God become flesh and not contradict His own Word? It was already prophesied, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14, NKJV). Then was the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy. Quickly, the Angel Gabriel was delegated to the earth to deliver the good news to a highly favored virgin in a town of Galilee, named Nazareth. That virgin’s name was Mary, a descendant of David. The Bible accounts:
“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly trou-bled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38, MSG).
What I like about Mary is this: She was young and some-how just a teenager, but she had a strong faith that we all need today. After the Angel delivered the message to her, she asked, “How will this be, since I’m a virgin?” The Angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35, NIV). And added, “For nothing is impossible for God.” She didn’t continue asking the Angel, “Yeah, Angel Gabriel, I know nothing is impossible for God, but how will this whole thing play out for good. You know I’m just a very young lady, and I don’t want any trouble out of life right now. I’m too young to take on the battles of my life, and not only mine, but also of a child. In addition, my fiance Joseph will surely not like this. Does God have a plan to take care of all these imaginable obstacles?” No. She just replied, “Be unto me according to your word”. (Luke 1:38, KJV).
You see, when God has a plan – He has it. He knows where and how it’s starting, where and how it will continue, and where and how it will end, producing His expected end. Re-member, He said, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV). Even though the plans of God for our lives at times don’t feel comfortable and acceptable, He does it His way, which, after all, is the best way; and we never know until He finishes what He’s doing.
At the time, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, also received an angelic visitation, and as soon as she heard Mary’s voice, she sensed the Lord’s anointing because the baby was leaping. Prophetically, she uttered these words, and I will partially quote it, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (Read full story in Luke 1:39-57).
I know dozens of questions are speeding through your mind right now. I also question God’s plans sometimes. Oh, yes. I’m also human. But I continue to learn and ask Him to help me trust Him as a good Father.
God has promised you healing; you don’t know how it will happen. Be unto you according to His Word. God has promised you deliverance; you don’t know how it will happen. Be unto you according to His Word. God has promised you a job; you don’t know how it will happen. Be unto you according to His Word. God has promised you a business or company; you don’t know how it will happen. Be unto you according to His Word. God has promised you a wife or husband; you don’t know how it will happen. Be unto you according to His word. God has called you to a ministry; you don’t know how it will happen. Be unto you according to His Word. No matter what the promise of God to you, just trust Him, exercise it, and say, ”Let it be according to His Word in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ”. It may not look like or be like what and the way you want it, but trust Him – at the end, you will under-stand it’s for your good.
Victory Will be Restored and Secured
The ultimate reason for the coming of the Lord is to restore and secure the victory Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden.
The Bible says the Angel departed. To summarize the story, Mary conceived according to the Word of God and gave birth to baby Jesus, who is the Christ.
When the Lord came on earth through Mary, He had a pur-pose, destiny, and a plan to fulfill it. He came to die on the cross at Calvary to save humanity from eternal condemnation and restore what Adam and Eve lost in the battle in the begin-ning. Right from birth, even as a baby, he faced the battle, and his parents, Mary and Joseph, had to escape with him into Egypt according to the instructions of God because Herod wanted to destroy His life (Matthew 2:1-18).
The First Adam Lost, The Second Adam Won
At the appointed time, God spoke to the couple to return to Israel with the child because those who were after His life had died (Matthew 2:19-21). Jesus grew up, and at thirty (30) years of age, He began His public ministry. But before launching this public ministry and eventually fighting some of the greatest battles for which He was sent by the Father, he fasted 40 days and nights (Matthew 4:1). The devil knowing that the time for him to lose what Adam and Eve transferred to him in the Garden of Eden was nearing, he went and tried to distract Him and trying to play the same game he played with Adam and Eve hoping he would win again to keep the victory. But this time around, he met with another Adam, the second Adam. (1 Corinthians 14:45). The Bible said, “And the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The ever-lasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV).
You see, the devil always uses the same plans, strategies, and tricks to attack the children of God. He used food (the fruit) to get Adam and Eve, and there he was trying to use the same thing, “food,” to dupe the Lord. The Bible says, after Jesus fasted forty (40) days and nights, he was hungry, and the devil came and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Matthew 4:3, NIV).
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said, “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor and said, “All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ And the Bible says, “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him” (read full story in Matthew 4:1-11). Right there, the devil lost in the introduction to the battle. I called it an introduction because the real one is yet to come.
Three and a half years have passed, during which Jesus has been walking the earth and demonstrating the supernatural working power of God and fulfilling the prophecy, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.” (Luke 4:18, NIV). Now comes the time for the Lord to complete His mission and tell the Father, “It’s finished.” As the devil never gets tired of attacking God’s children, even as he knows he would never win, he entered Judas, one of the disciples of Christ, and made him betray Him (Matthew 26:14-16). The Lord knew and pre-pared for the time. (Matthew 26:1). He knew that one of the ways to prepare for a spiritual battle is prayer. He took the rest of the disciples to a garden called Gethsemane to pray and get ready for the time. (Matthew 26:36). Judas knew all the whereabouts of the Lord and His disciples, so while He was there with the rest of them, he led the haters, Pharisees, Scribes, and soldiers right there to arrest Him. The Bible says when they arrived, he kissed the Master. That was a death-kiss, a hypocritical kiss. Remember, not everyone who smiles and manifests something like love and support really does. Some, for sure, do love and support you, but some also just don’t really love and support you. Be careful. Judas kissed the Lord to show his company who the man was they were sup-posed to arrest.
Oh, what a scene! The Bible says the Lord asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth”. He said, “I’m He”, and they went backward and fell on the ground. Then He asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth”. He said, “I’m He”, and they went backward and fell on the ground. Finally, He surrendered Himself to them, and they arrested and led Him away (read full story in John 18:1-40).
After the Lord was falsely accused, misjudged, and condemned to death and crucified at Calvary, they set Him on the journey to Golgotha, where He would be crucified. At that time, the devil thought he was winning. I believe he was jubilating with his demons and thinking the one who was healing and delivering the sick and oppressed, and raising the dead, is being put to death and will be done with forever, and they will continue controlling, oppressing, and possessing humanity.
Jesus and the crowds arrived at Golgotha, where He was to be crucified. They crucified Him, and the Bible says, “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scrip-ture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is fin-ished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spir-it.” (John 19:28-30, NIV). “It’s finished”, Jesus said while still hanging on the cross. How can He say it’s finished, yet still hanging on the cross? Was He saying the battle is finished? Was He saying the devil has won? The devil thought he was the winner. He thought he had won one more time. Oh, no! Never would he win again! What he forgot and always forgets is that his attacks on God’s children make a way and help them to their victory. One more time, he made the mistake of helping Jesus die. It was part of God’s plan to completely win the battle and end the war so that the devil would never win against humanity again. Jesus was supposed to be crucified and die to pay the price with His blood (Luke 22:20; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20). Moreover, He was sup-posed to go and meet death and conquer him as well. The Lord was taken from the cross and laid in the sepulcher while soldiers were guarding it.
Christ, the Winner
While in Hades, Christ faced death and conquered it to set the captives free. The Bible declares, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Corinthians 15:54-56, NIV). On this side of the universe, in the whole of Jerusalem and the sur-rounding towns and villages, the news was that Jesus the Christ, had been put to death, and several days, precisely three (3) days had passed, and there was no hope He would ever come back. They either didn’t believe or understand what He prophesied earlier, saying, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:19, NIV).
The Bible says that, after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became as dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly, Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me. “While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Shame on the devil, his demons, and servants! The Lord is truly risen! It was what it was! The devil lost the battle, and an end had come to his stolen dominion! It seemed in the beginning, even from the time of Adam and Eve, that he had won and continued to win. But look at him – he lost over two thou-sand (2,000) years ago. Jesus, the second Adam, won the battle and the war. The Bible says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15, NIV). Apostle Paul exclaimed, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15:57, NIV).
Understand that just because you lost in the past or even in the present in some things in your life doesn’t make it a permanent loss for you and a permanent victory for the devil or the vicissitudes of life. Today, you can launch a counter-attack against the enemy or those things troubling your life and overcome them.
Yes, you may have lost the battle of your wishes, visions, and dreams, and failed multiple times in fulfilling them in the past. But now is the time to prepare and sound a battle cry for spiritual, moral, and financial war against the devil and his demons, curses, familial spirits, diseases, bad habits, attitudes, and characters. You can still win the battles of your life. It’s not too late. If your grandfather, father, grandmother, mother, or ancestors lost the battle against something in the family line, now is the time for you to rise and fight that battle and win it for the present and coming generations. You may still be the same person who lost in the past, but now, under and through the blood and covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ and the abundant grace of God, you’re more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37).
The First Samson Lost, The Second Samson Won
In Judges 16:21-30, talking about Samson, the Bible says: “Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon, their god, and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.” When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multi-plied our slain.” While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus, he killed many more when he died than while he lived”.
The Bible says the Children of Israel did what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord. Therefore, He delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty (40) years. But the book of Micah states, “Lord Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” (Micah 7:18, NIV).
Read More In the Book, COURAGE: Fighting the Battles of Your Life