The Formula For Victory

Sermon for 10/21/2001

The Formula for Victory

Romans 8:37

Adapted from an outline on Pastor’s Pastor

Introduction:

A. After September 11th, the President declared a war against terrorism.

B. In the speech on that Thursday, President Bush described the Al-Quida network and delivered demands to the Taliban government. Deliver the terrorists to the US or suffer the same fate as the terrorists.

C. We have started bombing runs and the newspaper is telling us that soon the Taliban regime will be out of power and we are assured victory.

D. The terrorists might be another story but the governments that support or allow most of them to operate will be taken care of and the battle will be won against these regimes.

E. People are scared, not necessarily about Afghanistan, but about these battles getting out of control where the Muslim world gets involved with the terrorists. A war between the haves and the have nots.

F. People are also scared that even though we might gain a victory over Afghanistan, does this gain a victory over these international terrorists. Keep running until find a safe place to hide! Keep operating even without a strong head. Death to the infidels.

G. However, the President and others keep assuring us that we will have the victory because we are on the side of right and because we are fighting for the civilized world!

H. I agree with him. It might take great cost but we must win!

WBTU:

A. Christians, the Bible says, are involved in a life or death struggle. It has been going on ever since the devil was kicked out of heaven. There is a war that is always going on between the forces of good and God and the forces of evil and the devil. There are no civilians but there are many casualties. We are all involved one way or another in this war.

B. Christians are on the side of good and of God. (Eph 6:12 NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

C. Those who are not Christians are on the side of evil unaware. The side of evil and the devil are nothing but terrorists. Terrorists against the souls of men. (1 Pet 5:8 NIV) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

D. Satan is real, very real! He is ready and willing to use all at his disposal to destroy us, for we are the Body of Christ, what has he to lose? The flesh is weak, very weak! And sin is deadly, very deadly!

E. The amazing thing about this battle is that we are guaranteed victory. Read the book of Revelation. I’ve read the back of the book and we win.

F. After D-Day, the Normandy invasion, most people believed that the fall of Germany was inevitable. Many people believed that if the Allies could get a stronghold in Western Europe that the downfall of Germany would soon follow. After D-Day about a year passed with bloody fighting. The Allies were so sure of victory that Winston Churchill, FDR, and Joseph Stalin met on several occasions before the war was over to discuss the state of Europe after the victory over Germany.

G. As Christians we must understand that our D-Day has already been fought. The battles fought now are just simply the devil fighting out of desperation. Much like Hitler and the Nazis kept fighting after D-Day but the inevitable was assured.

H. However, is it only at death that we gain the victory? In this life do we live defeated only at the end to gain the victory? Oh, no.

I. How do we gain the victory in this life?

J. One way is by putting on the armor of God. Ephesians 6. Read in devotional time.

K. But beyond that what do we do?

Thesis: Let me suggest four actions for every believer.

For instances:

I. First, we must recognize Christ has already won.

A. (Psa 98:1 NIV) Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

B. Christ has fought D-Day for us and when he rose up from that tomb, he won the victory.

C. Jesus was tried and whipped and spit upon and in the end they nailed him to a cross and the devil thought that he had won. Jesus is dead and gone and I have destroyed Him. However, in the grave Jesus did battle with Satan and Scripture says, he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel and that is exactly what happened. When God the Father raised His Son Jesus from the dead, Jesus delivered the knockout blow to Satan and won the greatest battle ever known.