Christian overcomers Community Group
This is a Christian Group for people that are seeking healing or overcoming challenges through Biblical advice. Our key verse is 3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
I recently came across a saying that sounded quite pious but actually was entirely wrong.
“Sometimes God will put you in a battle empty handed so that when you do get the victory you will know it wasn’t you, but Him.”
So much of our modern, Christian theology is founded on wrong conclusions about the nature of God, the nature of man, and man’s purpose in the earth. Practically everything in the above quote is wrong on every count.
1. God doesn’t put us in battles. Battles (I assume this is referring to trials, tribulations, temptations, and perhaps even sickness or economic distress), are a part of the fallen world in which we live. God doesn’t send hard times our way to teach us anything. He sent the Word to teach and perfect us (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Trials and temptations are not from God (James 1:13-17).
2. We are never ‘empty handed!’ We have been given the Name of Jesus, the better covenant, better promises, the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the armor of God, the Word of God, the faith of God, the keys of the Kingdom, authority to tread upon all the work of the enemy, the gifts of the Spirit, and we are one spirit with Him! We are seated with Him in heavenly places! We are more than conquerors! How could we ever see ourselves as empty handed? This thinking comes from the ‘sovereign God’ mentality that believes that God controls all things and we are mere puppets in His play.
3. We aren’t looking to ‘get the victory!’ We are called to enforce the victory that was won on the cross. As long as we think we are trying to win a victory, we will never enter in to the victory that was already won. We start from a place of victory! Jesus already sat down at the right hand of God and has given to His church the victory over the enemy. It is now up to us to enforce what has been given.
4. The last point is more subtle but equally important. Though the victory over darkness was certainly because of Him, our role as enforcers is entirely up to us! When we establish God’s will in our lives and the lives of others, it IS because of us! “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Eph. 3:20) God’s will for our continual victory remains in our hands. We can live by faith, or live by fate. The above quote has more to do with fate than faith.
So many well meaning Christians are being stripped of their capacity to reign in life because of the fatalism of the theology expressed in the quote. Don’t be gullible. You are equipped to enforce Christ’s victory. You are never empty handed.
(By Barry Bennett)
Kristy Moyer Santek
I have a question about your last statement in point 2. Is God not in control of all things? I've always been taught this, could you explain.
· Reply · 6h
Author
Barry Bennett
Kristy Moyer Santek Does God control you? Your thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes? If He doesn’t control you, He doesn’t control all things. He doesn’t control evil. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, so obviously He doesn’t control the works of the devil. God gave the earth to man. Man’s sin unleashed evil. Jesus equips us to overcome evil. Blessings.
Otiokpah Michael
But, I believe that temptations comes from the Devil or from our lust. But trials comes from God. Like Abraham was tried by God or tested by God when he was asked by God to go sacrifice Isaac as to see his trust and love for God.. Genesis 22:1-4
· Reply · 2h
Author
Barry Bennett
Otiokpah Michael No, trials come from a fallen world. We are in the New Covenant now. Jesus conquered sin, Satan and death. It is finished. He is not testing us. Life tests us. Jesus has equipped us. Read 2 Peter 1:2-4.
"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the [a]corruption that is in the world through lust."