Focus on the Solution, Not the Problem: Finding Victory in Christ

From the Sermon on October 19, 2025

Life has a way of throwing challenges at us when we least expect them. Financial struggles, family conflicts, health issues, addiction battles—the list seems endless. When difficulties arise, our natural tendency is to fixate on the problem itself, analyzing it from every angle, replaying it in our minds, and allowing it to consume our thoughts. But what if there's a better way?

The Power of Redirecting Our Focus

The world tells us to concentrate on our problems, to dissect them, to work through them with our own strength and wisdom. Yet Scripture offers a radically different approach: focus on the solution instead of the problem. And who is that solution? Jesus Christ.

This isn't about denying reality or pretending our struggles don't exist. Rather, it's about recognizing where our true strength comes from. When we identify with Christ and position ourselves under His authority, we become overcomers—not through our own power, but through His.

The Battle Already Won

Colossians 2:15 delivers a powerful truth: "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

Read that again. The enemy has been *disarmed*. The battle has been *won*. Two thousand years ago, Jesus secured complete victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness. So why do we live as though the fight is still uncertain?

The devil's greatest trick is making us believe the gun is still loaded when it's not. He deceives us into thinking we're powerless, that our circumstances are insurmountable, that we're fighting a losing battle. But the truth is, Christ has already conquered. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

Our challenge isn't to win the war—it's to believe the war has already been won and to live accordingly.

 Nothing Can Separate Us

Romans 8:37-39 offers one of Scripture's most comforting promises: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

More than conquerors. Not barely surviving, not just scraping by, but *more than conquerors*. This isn't arrogance—it's confidence in who Christ is and what He has accomplished.

No circumstance, no matter how dire, can separate us from God's love. No trial, no temptation, no failure can sever that connection. When we grasp this truth, it transforms how we face every challenge.

 Peace in the Storm

Jesus spoke plainly about the reality of living in this world: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Notice He didn't say *might* have trouble or *could* face difficulties. He said *will*. Trials are guaranteed. But so is His victory.

The Christian life isn't about avoiding storms—it's about having peace in the midst of them. That peace comes from knowing that the One who calmed the seas and walked on water is the same One who walks with us through every trial.

 The Cost of Part-Time Christianity

Here's an uncomfortable truth: we cannot give God one hour a week and expect Him to be our full-time deliverer.

Many approach faith like a vending machine—insert minimal effort, expect maximum blessing. But relationship doesn't work that way. God desires our whole heart, not the leftovers of our schedule.

Drawing close to God requires more than Sunday attendance. It demands daily conversation, honest confession, seeking His guidance, and sometimes asking the hard question: "Why am I going through this?" God is strong enough to handle our questions. Often, He provides answers—though we may not always like what we hear.

The purpose of the Gospel is to save us from ourselves. We can blame circumstances, other people, or bad luck, but ultimately, we all fall short of God's glory. The solution isn't found in fixing everyone else—it's found in surrendering ourselves to Christ.

 Justified by the Blood

Romans 5:8-10 reminds us of God's incredible love: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"

While we were still sinners—not after we cleaned up our act, not when we became worthy, but while we were still His enemies—Christ died for us. If He loved us enough to die for us when we were at our worst, how much more will He sustain us now that we're reconciled to Him?

We must connect with Christ as He is, not as we want Him to be. God's kingdom isn't a democracy. We don't get to vote on His standards or negotiate His commands. He is King, and what He says goes. This isn't harsh—it's liberating. We can trust His leadership because His love for us is perfect.

Living Crucified Lives

Galatians 2:20 offers a blueprint for the Christian life: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

This is the secret to overcoming life's challenges: dying to ourselves so Christ can live through us. It's not about mustering more willpower or trying harder. It's about surrender—allowing His strength to work through our weakness.

 No Secret Agents Allowed

Matthew 10:32-33 draws a clear line: "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."

We cannot be secret agent Christians—followers of Jesus in private but blending with the world in public. Our faith must be visible. This doesn't mean being obnoxious or judgmental, but it does mean living differently, speaking differently, choosing differently.

When faced with controversial topics or cultural pressures, our response should point to Christ. Instead of aligning with political parties or popular opinions, we declare: "I'm a child of God, and what He says goes in my life."

 How They Overcame

Revelation 12:11 reveals the secret of the victorious: "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

Three elements of victory:

1. The blood of the Lamb** - Not their own strength, but Christ's sacrifice
2. The word of their testimony - Openly declaring what God has done
3. Not loving their lives unto death - Valuing eternity over temporary comfort

These believers overcame because they knew something better awaited them. They weren't afraid of leaving this world because they knew where they were going.

Today Is the Day

Whatever challenge you face today, you have access to resurrection power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. But you must access it. You must go to Him, ask Him, focus on Him.

Don't focus on your circumstance—focus on your Savior. Don't dwell on the problem—dwell on the solution. The battle is won. The enemy is defeated. Victory is yours in Christ.

The only time you have is now. Will you trust the One who has already overcome?