Freedom House Church and Healing Centre

Christus Victor

For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies 

to give you victory." (Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV)

Hello Saints,

Imagine someone chasing a little white ball for some 7 kilometers, trying along the route to put it into 18 little white cups – the prize…almost 2 million dollars. Imagine ten people trying to chase a little black disc up and down a frozen water rink, trying to put it in a well-guarded net, in the hope of one day winning the coveted prize, a hundred-year-old cup. Imagine now, if you will, 22 men, 11 from each team chasing a pigskin ball trying to get it to cross the goal line of the opponent. Strategy, skill, determination, concentration, and good old-fashioned grit and perseverance, produce a result that brings accolades or criticism, and again…millions of dollars. Some ask, “what’s the point?”; “what eternal value does it have?”. If we are honest…very little in the grand scheme of things. Big names are recognized, big pay cheques are handed out. And every year new opponents and players emerge all chasing the coveted earthly prize, for a few moments of shame or glory. But the world is none the better for any of it! Vanity of vanities! Yet it seems to be in us to want to win; to want to compete and beat the other guy, or even ourselves. We love the thrill of the hunt, the adventure of the competition. And if we can’t participate, we love to be armchair athletes who vicariously live through the heroes we admire, or dare I say “worship”. You get the picture! The human spirit is alive and well, and loves to be recognized for greatness.

 There remains, however, a battle we can never win, a challenge no human can overcome in their own strength. There remains an opposing team that is much bigger, more powerful, more experienced, who does not play by the rules, whose sole mission is not to defeat, but to steal, kill and destroy! We can’t see him, or it, or them! Is it a force, an army, a darkness, a kingdom; or all the powers of hell on the attack, relentlessly, all the time? Principalities and powers, a well-arranged squadron of fighters, hell-bent on recruiting the blinded ones to their camp, preventing them from living the life they were meant to live. No human, alone or well-organized mass of humans can defeat this evil wicked army.

 It would take One, solitary, voluntary, super-natural, of divine origin, focused and strategic individual, with all the wisdom of the ages. This One has been chosen from the foundation of the world to battle the fiercest opponent humanity has ever known. He does not fight with human weapons, but armed with love and submission, He would lay down His life for the benefit of all those who put their faith in Him. He does not fight for His own reward but rather chooses to win the victory for those who cannot fight for themselves. He does not rely on His own ability, nor skill, but, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:6-8) In this One’s upside-down world, victory is not won by being great, nor the best, it is by death, even what seems like defeat. This two-fold victory – to satisfy the requirements of a Holy God who demanded retribution for the sins committed against Him by humanity itself, and secondly to defeat all the powers of hell, was won for those who had already fallen to the enemy and were helpless to save themselves from him. Imagine, if you can, a hero not competing unto death for his own glory, but that he might bring many sons and daughters to glory (Heb. 2:10). 

Sacrificial! Substitutionary! Vicarious! This One’s victory is our victory! Victory over sin! Victory over death. Victory over all the forces of hell! This is the testimony of the church: 

• ^NLT Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

• ^NLT 1 Corinthians 15:57 How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!

• ^NIV 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

• ^NLT Colossians 2:15 In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.

• ^NLT Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has happened at last -- the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ! For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth -- the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night. ¹¹ And they have defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of their testimony. And they were not afraid to die.

 Oh friends! Jesus came to destroy the opposing team, not merely win a seasonal victory (1John 3:8). When He walked this earth demons were cast out, dethroned in people’s lives, and subjected to the Lord of the universe. It was an assault of cataclysmic proportions, whereby the enemy could never again return to win ‘next year’. It was done…finished! The cross and resurrection changed everything! Now we are to walk in the victory Jesus won for us – if we resist the devil, he will flee! (James 4:7). Are we walking in the victory Jesus won for us! He remains forever our victorious savior, and deliverer, conqueror and king. He won it on our behalf, so we could wear the victor’s crown (Read Psalm 21).

Be blessed!

"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."