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The Victory Is Already Won

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57 (KJV)

Howdy, friends.

Let me ask you something. Have you ever watched the replay of a ballgame when you already knew who won? You sit there relaxed, maybe even smiling, while everybody on the screen is sweating and stressing. You know something they don’t: it’s already decided.

That’s the Christian life, or at least it’s supposed to be.

Paul didn’t write “thanks be to God, which will give us the victory someday if we behave.” He wrote giveth — present tense. Done deal. The cross settled it, the empty tomb sealed it, and everything since has just been the replay playing out.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, because I’ve thought it too: “Then why does it still feel like I’m losing half the time?” Fair question. Here’s what I’ve learned. The devil can’t change the final score, so he does the next best thing — he tries to make you forget it. He’ll get you so focused on today’s skirmish that you lose sight of the war that’s already been won. Worry does that. Fear does that. That 3 a.m. voice listing everything that could go wrong does that.

But feelings aren’t facts. The fact is the victory, and the victory is Jesus.

So here’s my challenge for you today, and it’s a simple one. The next time that old familiar dread starts creeping in — about money, about health, about your kids, about whatever it is — I want you to say it out loud: “The victory is already won.” Say it like you mean it, because it’s true whether you feel it or not. There’s something about hearing your own voice declare the truth that shuts the enemy’s mouth.

You don’t have to fight for victory, friend. You get to fight from it. That’s a whole different kind of battle — the kind you can smile through.

Let’s pray. Lord, thank You that the outcome was never in doubt. When I forget, remind me. When I’m afraid, steady me. And let me walk through this day like somebody who already knows how the story ends. In Jesus’ name, amen.

— Uncle Ricky

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