VICTORY OVER THE DARKNESS

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus promises His people that, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” If it takes the truth to make us free, then we must seek the truth that John is speaking of. Our identity in Christ Jesus is a fundamental truth that we believers need to understand, if we are to experience this promised freedom and grow to maturity in our Christian faith.

We tend to identify ourselves and each other by what we look like, what we do and perhaps even our denominational preference. Is who you are determined by what you do, or look like, or believe in, or is what you do, and understanding who you are?

Your understanding of who you are is the critical foundation for your belief structure and influences your behavior patterns as a Christian. The only identity equation that works in Gods kingdom is you plus Christ. You plus Christ equals wholeness and gives your life meaning.

In Gods kingdom everyone has the same opportunity for a meaningful life. The wholeness and meaning of life are not products of what you have or don’t have. What you’ve done or haven’t done. In Christ you are already a whole person and already possess a life of infinite meaning and purposes because you are a child of God.

This truth is the key to having victory over darkness. The truth is in is His word. His word is His will for our lives which is the glory of God within us through Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:26-27 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

As you accept Jesus as your Lord, you were born again through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that rebirth, brings the glory of God in you. The faith of God is in you and the mind of Christ is in you. More important the love of God is in you. You have to walk in that glory even in the face of the devil’s attacks on your life.

Dare to release your expectancy of glory and before long you will realize you have it and more. There is no glory in the god of unbelievers because Satan and all he stands for is their god. When your belief system is intact and your relationship with God is based on truth you will have little if any difficulty working out the practical aspects of daily Christianity.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

If we follow Gods prescribed order, we will overcome the darkness of the world. Faith in God’s word and what was finished at the cross gives us the victory over the darkness of the world. This darkness that I am speaking of is some of the evil things that we are seeing on the news of today, killing for no reason, cheating, hating each other, stealing, looting, and many other sorts of evil.

These things are the works of darkness and the devil is having a hay day convincing people that this is ok. It is not ok and never will be. An unbeliever cannot understand what I am trying to say, because they know nothing of God and live carnally, by their animal instincts and flesh.

Until they make Jesus the Lord of their lives by accepting him as their savior, they will never have this spiritual wisdom. Wisdom comes by the Holy Spirit, people who have not accepted Jesus as Savior do not have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does give spiritual knowledge. Wisdom and knowledge are not the same.

1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

Jeremiah 4:22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

God is saying here that people are sots, or stupid, or drunks and do not know me. They are wise to do evil but have no idea how to do good. They have no knowledge of God, despite the fact that they were Gods people. Their lack of knowledge of God was due to their abandonment of the word.Too many people listen to the knowledge of men and have no desire to learn of the knowledge of the word of God.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Once again, the Holy Spirit tells us that all of our knowledge is futile unless we have the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. This fear in not a fear of punishment, but a respect for the awesome power that is God. Yes, we should fear, like children who fear a good parent knowing that the parent is powerful and controls all, but loves them. This truth moves us to choose to follow God and obey Him even when we do not understand the fullness of why He is asking us to do something. This is the foundation of our growth as believers.

This truth will give you victory over the evil spirit of darkness.

Stay in the word,

Brother Andy