Circumstances…a nice way of saying problems, troubles, issues. We all have “circumstances” that we are facing: problems at work, trouble with your kids, relationship problems, health issues, family drama, strife in your home, legal problems, emotional problems, financial stress…and so on. If you are alive, I’m sure you can think of at least one “circumstance” that you are dealing with currently.

When you became a Christian, you may have thought that that all your problems would go away. But that’s not what the Bible says. The Bible tells that in this life trouble is going to come. Paul is speaking to the church in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT) :

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  ”                                 

So we know that as Christians we can expect to have “circumstances” arise in our lives.  But cheer up, have hope, and hold onto your joy! We might have issues, troubles, or problems that come up, but we also have Jesus. Jesus said in John 16:33 that we could have peace in Him because he has overcome the world and all it’s problems for us.  Jesus has already provided you with the victory over anything in this life that is coming against you. You might be thinking? “Anything? That seems unrealistic.” It’s not! The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that the “circumstances” we are dealing with in this life are caused by the devil. You might think it’s your terrible boss who is the source of your problems at work, but it’s really the devil who is causing the issue. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) tells us:

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  “

Now don’t let the words “evil rulers” and “might powers” scare you. All it boils down to is the devil and his demon crew. It’s true that the devil is in control of this earthly world (John 12:31 NLT),but please remember that when you were born again you were removed from the kingdom of darkness and placed into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13). And even better than that truth, is that Jesus has already defeated the devil for you. When he died on the cross, went down to hell bearing all of our sins, and then rose from the dead on the third day, he secured the victory over the devil. Let’s look at this in scripture. Colossians 2:14-15 NLT says:

 ^“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

So as a born again Christian, you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior.  The Bible says that you were raised up with Christ and seated with him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6 ). That sounds like victory to me!  The victory over the devil that Jesus accomplished applies to you! YOU have victory over the devil in this life through Christ. The only authority or power that the devil has in your life is what you allow him to have.

In this moment, you might not be feeling very victorious. You might be feeling defeated and burdened. The first step, is for you to see what the Bible says about your victory. Get out your Bible and look up these scriptures for yourself. Don’t just take my word for it. Build your faith in the fact that in Christ, you have have victory in this life over any problem or issue that arises. Read and meditate on these scriptures to build your faith for victory.

Don’t give up, and don’t quit. Remember what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:12 (NIV), “keep fighting the good fight of faith” and in Romans 8:37 (NLT):

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Follow this link for a full list of scriptures and confessions for victory over your circumstances.

 

www.comeboldly.net