Living in Victory

by Debbie Poer

Several years ago, at a Christian convention I attended one of the speakers shared the following thought and challenge about our faith: 

We know who wins in the end. Pick a team. Don’t be stupid.  

Unfortunately, I do not remember which convention, nor do I remember the speaker to give him credit for that refrain (my apologies if you are reading this blog). However, I have held on to it as a reminder of the victory I have in acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. 

Each month in 2025 we have focused on a characteristic of living like Jesus in response to 1 John 2:6, “If I claim to be a Christian I must live as Jesus lived.” Throughout the year we have had the chance to read thousands of words written by fellow believers encouraging us to take another look at Jesus’ life and the example He set for us. We have considered surrender, humility, purpose, generosity, the Holy Spirit, making disciples, rhythm and rest, friends and family, grace, prayer, compassion, and this month, victory. 

In addition to the wisdom our authors shared they challenged us to “walk the talk.” Gary Johnson urged us to leave the “starting line” and surrender to living like Jesus. When Chel Garrison wrote on purpose, she challenged us to take a daily inventory of our habits, behaviors, and patterns to see where we need to allow the Holy Spirit to work. In September, when we looked at grace and truth, David Wright challenged us boldly share the truth of Jesus, while showing His kindness to the ungrateful, the unloved, and the lost whom we encounter daily. The month we looked at prayer and fasting, Amy McGinnis challenged us to try prayer and fasting through the lens of deepening our trust and relations in God. 

While choosing to live like Jesus and following all His traits will build in us good character those traits alone do not bring the victory God intends for us. In John 6 Jesus shares with a crowd of people that he is the bread of life. He goes so far as to say in verse 40,” And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” He reaffirms his statement in verse 47 with, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” When we make our confession of faith, that Jesus is the Son of God and our personal Lord and Savior is the moment we walk into the victory of living like Jesus. 

I love who Peter sums it up in 1 Peter 1:3-9 (my emphasis added): 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

I can do all things, January – November, but in the end victory is mine because I believe in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. I have picked a team. Have you?