Living in the Power of Christ: Standing Firm in Spiritual Victory

From the November 23rd Sermon: 

There's a powerful image in Scripture of a tree planted by the water—unmovable, deeply rooted, drawing life from a constant source. This picture captures what it means to live anchored in Christ, drawing strength from His power rather than our own limited resources. Yet many believers today find themselves struggling, worn down, fighting battles they were never meant to fight, operating outside the very power that could sustain them.

The Question We Must Ask Ourselves

Are you living in the power of Christ, or are you operating outside of it?

This isn't a trivial question. It cuts to the heart of our spiritual experience. Some believers wake up each day feeling defeated before the battle even begins. They're exhausted, wondering why nothing seems to go right, why every effort feels like pushing against an immovable wall. The emotional fatigue becomes overwhelming, and the mind starts to wonder: "What am I going to do now? Lord, help me—I'm struggling."

This struggle often stems from a fundamental disconnect: living in a state of fear rather than in a state of power. When we operate from fear instead of faith, we become susceptible to deceptive thoughts that seek to separate us from God, create hesitation in our obedience, and breed hopelessness in our faith.

The Victory That's Already Won

Here's the truth that must anchor our souls: Christ has already won the victory. He has already defeated the enemy. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). This isn't future tense—it's accomplished fact.

The cross wasn't just a historical event; it was the decisive battle that determined the outcome of the war. When Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, He didn't just win a skirmish—He dismantled the power of sin and death completely. Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 15, John 16:33, Romans 8:37, Colossians 2:15, and Revelation 2:1-7 all testify to this completed victory.

Yet many believers live as if the battle is still uncertain, as if the enemy still has legitimate power over them. They give power to fear instead of trusting in God's victory.

Why We Don't Live in His Power

Several obstacles prevent us from living in Christ's power:

Misunderstanding the Victory: Some believers haven't fully grasped that Christ already defeated the enemy at the cross. This was the entire purpose of His sacrifice—to pay the sin debt we owed.

Fighting the Wrong Battles: The enemy uses distractions to pull us into conflicts that aren't ours to fight. We end up fighting each other instead of the spiritual forces that are the real opposition. We confuse physical struggles with spiritual warfare.

Emotional Weariness: When we're emotionally exhausted, we become passive about spiritual matters. We lose motivation. Instead of continuing the fight, we surrender because we can't see the power of Christ already working within us.

Believing the Lies: When we give up, we're believing the enemy's whisper: "You can't do this. You're not strong enough. You won't get through this." These lies gain power only when we accept them as truth.

The Sources of Our Power

Believers have been given genuine power and authority in Christ. This isn't metaphorical or wishful thinking—it's spiritual reality.

The Power of God's Word: Romans 10:17 tells us that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God." The gospel message isn't just information; it's transformative power. When we hear it, read it, study it, understand it, talk about it, share it, and exhort others with it, we activate God's power in our lives.

The Word of God is described in Hebrews 4:12 as "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." It reaches deep into our souls, exposing secrets and thoughts, revealing true motivations, and separating what is spiritual from what is merely emotional or carnal.

The Power of the Cross: First Corinthians 1:18 declares that "the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The cross is the source of God's power for salvation, transforming us from death to life everlasting. Our sins were placed on Christ, and in return, forgiveness was offered through His victory.

The Power to Defend: We have been empowered by God, along with the authority of the Holy Spirit, to overcome all challenges (Acts 1:8). We can use God's Word to dismantle strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). We can stand firm in faith while acting with love and wisdom (1 Corinthians 16:13).

James 4:7 gives us a remarkable promise: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." When we operate within Christ's authority, Satan must flee. He cannot stand against the strength that comes from our relationship with the Lord.

The Power of the Resurrection: Romans 6:4-5 explains that we were buried with Christ by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Because Jesus rose from the dead, sin no longer has control over those who are in Him. His resurrection power breaks the chains of sin and enables us to walk in righteousness—His righteousness, not our own.

Becoming Living Epistles

Second Corinthians 3:2-3 describes believers as "a letter from Christ...written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." We are living epistles—letters written by the Holy Spirit and read by the world through our actions and character.

This is how the power of Christ becomes visible. It's not just about what we believe in our minds, but how we behave in our daily lives—at work, at home, in our relationships. If we're doing nothing, then the Word of God has no power working through us. But when we activate our faith through obedience, the message of Christ flows through us with saving power.

The Call to Action

Living in the power of Christ isn't passive. It requires us to:

- Operate from a position of victory: Acknowledge that the enemy has already been defeated
- Trust in God's control: Remember that God guarantees our victory
- Use God's power: Recognize that our strength comes from Christ and the Holy Spirit
- Put on the whole armor of God: Not just part of it, but every piece
- Reject the enemy's influence: Don't give power to lies or allow fear to take over
- Fight the right battles: Focus on the spiritual battles God has called us to fight

The Transforming Truth

We were not created to live defeated lives. God calls us to be life-changers—men and women empowered by Christ whose actions defy explanation. To reach this mature spiritual state, our souls must connect with Christ and remain connected to Him for the rest of our lives.

The good news is clear: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). These Scriptures have been fulfilled. The victory is complete. The power is available.

The only question remaining is this: Will you live in that power today?