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VICTORY IN CHRIST

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)

“You are who God says you are; you can do what God says you can do; you can have what God says you can have!” – Mark Hankins

My dad and mom pastored a full gospel church in West Columbia, Texas for more than 50 years.  When my parents first moved to West Columbia, I was only a year old and my older brother, Mike, was four. Mom was sick and mentally tormented for two years. Dad not only pastored the church, but also had the pressure of all the family responsibilities. Dad began to have heart trouble. The church was small and struggling, and we were poor.

However, in the middle of this struggle a man gave my dad some books on the authority of the believer, the integrity of God’s Word, and who you are in Christ.  Dad began to read and study the material and gained a new understanding of God’s Word. Dad began to speak the Word to Mom and had her repeat it after him. She began to say, “I am who God says I am. I have what God says I have. I can do what God says I can do!” As my parents saw who they were in Christ and spoke the Word, faith arose in their hearts. They knew that victory belonged to them in every area of their lives.

Confession: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

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THE KEY TO YOUR FUTURE

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Galatians 5:24)

“Most Christians allow their body to have their spirit gagged and tied up in the basement.” – Mark Hankins

The part of you that is born again is your spirit. It receives eternal life, but you still must do something with your mind and your body. It is possible to be saved or born again and still have your body out of whack. Your mind can still be controlled with wrong thinking. You will stay frustrated if your body or your mind is dominating your spirit.

Paul said that they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with its affections.  Crucifixion is painful. This means that you deny your body certain things it wants to do, wants to say, and wants to consume. If you do just the opposite of what your body wants, you will be pleasing God.

The Holy Spirit wants to strengthen your spirit. Then your inner man will rise up and tell your body to shut up and line up with the Word. Your spirit man — your inward man — will do this!

Confession: I am strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in my inner man. Christ dwells in my heart by faith and I am rooted and grounded in love. I am filled with all the fullness of God!  (Ephesians 3:16-19)

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GET YOUR WEAPONS OUT

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to with stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)

“The moment you are born again, I am convinced that the devil puts a target on you.” – Mark Hankins

You have to get the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus, and the Word out and use them. You have to get the Word in your mouth, get it engrafted inside of you, and put on the armor of God. Put on your helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, Gospel shoes, and shield of faith to stop every fiery dart. Then get the sword of the Word of God out and say, “Alright, devil, I am ready for you now!”

Jesus told Peter, “Satan has desired to have you…but I have prayed for you.” (Luke 22:31-32) This is not meant to scare you, but make you aware.

Jesus is praying for you! You have the power of the blood. You have the cross. You have the resurrection. You have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Greater One lives on the inside of you!

Confession: I put on the armor of God and withstand the devil. I have the power of the blood of Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit working in my life! The Greater One lives inside of me!

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YOUR NUMBER ONE BATTLE

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

“Satan knows that if he can capture your thought life, he has won a great victory.” – Mark Hankins

I heard a story once about a man who asked a well- known evangelist to pray for him that he would never have another bad thought. The evangelist said, “If I could do that for you, I would do it for myself!”

You must realize that as long as you are in this world, Satan has access to you, and he can bring thoughts and suggestions to your mind. This does not mean you are not saved. As a matter of fact, Satan knows if he can capture your thought life, he has won a great victory. 

The devil will tell you that if you thought something, you ought to say it or do it. However, you decide what you will do with those thoughts. I like the way Dad Hagin said it: “Just because Satan brings thoughts to your mind doesn’t mean they are sin. Thoughts may come and thoughts may persist, but thoughts that are not acted upon die unborn.”

Confession: I cast down every imagination and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God. I am bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ!

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A LIVING SACRIFICE

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

“Anyone who has ever won an Olympic gold medal will tell you he did something about his body.” – Mark Hankins

Paul said for you to present your body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. People often go to the altar because they want God to take cigarettes or some other habit away from them. God doesn’t smoke, so He is not going to take those things from you. God does not chew tobacco, so He is not going to take it from you. Your body can become addicted to things that will destroy it. The Bible calls these habits “sin” because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who has ever won an Olympic gold medal will tell you he did something about his body. When his body did not want to run, he kept on running. When his body said, “I want to go eat this,” he said, “No, you are not eating that.”  I am not referring to people who run every once in a while; I am talking about gold medal winners. They have to do something about their bodies.

Confession: Body, I am doing something about you right now. I am presenting you as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.

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