“For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith,” 1 John 5:4.

Victory, what a thrilling and exuberant word! We all like to be victorious, whether it is in our spiritual warfare, in our work, or at day-to-day living. We savor our victories over sin and Satan, and we rejoice with brothers and sisters who have triumphed in a fierce spiritual battle. To overcome, we must be fully dedicated and committed to Jesus Christ. We must be “rooted and built up in him” (Colossians 2:7), and to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3).

Lack of a solid basis for victory will lead to sure defeat. Jesus overcame because He knew His Father. How deep is our knowledge of our heavenly Father?Lot lost much because he was defeated long before he faced the real tests in life. Though Lot was “just” (2 Peter 2:7), he had only a shallow commitment to God. It takes faith and determination to be an over-comer. Even if we fail, we need to rise and fight again.

Consider Moses, who failed early in life but later became prominent as a great leader in Old Testament history. David was only a young shepherd boy when he won a historic battle with Goliath. David was victorious because he was connected to God. Elijah held a momentous contest on Mount Carmel. Even though his sacrifice was soaked with water, God sent fire that consumed the sacrifice, the altar, and even the water in the trench around it. Elijah won this amazing victory because he was connected to the proper source, God. How is it with your life? Can you be victorious over our enemy, the devil? Whether we experience victory or defeat, it’s based directly on our relationship with God.

(Dr. Monterey D. Lee, Sr. is the pastor of Celebration Christian Center, Inc., located at 1215 9th Ave. N. Nashville, Tenn. 37208. You can contact the ministry at 615-613-7757 or online at ).