V Is For Victory Series

Introduction

1.

2. As we continue to study our Biblical ABCs...

We come to the letter V...

V is for Victory...

According to the dictionary...

victory refers to success or triumph over an enemy in battle...

or a successful outcome in a struggle...

or overcoming an obstacle.

In the Bible...

Victory and its forms is found 56 times....

Let’s look at a few of them...

Read Text: Psalm 44:3

1. Victory in Battle

A. One of the predominant uses of the word victory is found in relation to battle...

Of course, that is everyone’s goal in battle...

Our military goal in Iraq is to establish a young democracy...

there are those who are fighting it...

We hope and pray that the United States will be victorious...

But it remains to be seen if that will happen.

B. On the other side, the terrorists are hoping to be victorious over us.

In Bible times, God often led the people into battle...

in order for the Children of Israel to be able to occupy the Promise Land...

it took many battles...

Children still sometimes sing, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho”...

What is astounding...

as you study the word victory in the Bible...

it is amazing how many state that GOD gives the victory...

Deut. 20:4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

Josh. 10:10 The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon.

Judg. 12:3 ... the LORD gave me the victory over them.

Judg. 15:18 ¶ “You have given your servant this great victory.

1Sam. 19:5 The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad.

2Sam. 8:6 The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

2Sam. 8:14 ¶ The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

2Sam. 22:36 You give me your shield of victory;

2Sam. 22:51 He gives his king great victories;

2Sam. 23:10 The LORD brought about a great victory that day.

2Sam. 23:12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

1Kings 22:12 ¶ “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious...for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”

1Kings 22:15 ¶ “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”

2Kings 5:1 ¶ Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram.

1Chr. 11:14 But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

And quite a number more!!!

C. The Point I want to make is that victory in battle...

when the battle is in the Lord’s will...

does not come because of the size of the army...

victory does not come because of superior of armament...

(Just look at David and Goliath!!)

Victory comes because of the Lord...

The LORD brought about great victory....

as long as the battle was within the will of the Lord...

2. Another kind of victory we see is Victory over Sin

a. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians...

1Cor. 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

1Cor. 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sin is like another battle...

And to be honest, the battle against sin...

is a bigger battle than our war with Iraq...

It is bigger than all the battles in WW2 or WW1...

in fact, if you add all the battles ever fought...

you will see that it still doesn’t begin to compare with the battle with sin...

B. we have been battling sin since the days of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden...

We’ve been battling sin for over 6,000 years of recorded history...

But, praise be to the Lord...

He gives us victory over sin!!!...

We do not have to be enslaved by it any longer...

I love that hymn...”Glorious Freedom”...

Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters;

Chained like a slave, I struggled in vain.

But I received a glorious freedom,

When Jesus broke my fetters in twain.

Refrain

Glorious freedom! Wonderful freedom!

No more in chains of sin I repine!

Jesus the glorious Emancipator—

Now and forever He shall be mine.

And then the song goes on and tells us about all our freedoms in subsequent verses...

Freedom from all the carnal affections;

envy, hatred and strife;

vain and worldly ambitions;