Introduction
In our culture today, many philosophies and worldviews based on human wisdom compete for our attention. These ideas, however, are marked by deception and the absence of Christ. If we, as believers, are taken in by the lies of the secular world, we will stray from Christ and fall victim to the strategies and lies of the devil. Therefore, we need Christ operating on our behalf from heaven so that our enemy, the devil, fails in his prosecutions against us. The person of Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross gives us a victorious legal standing in the courtroom of heaven. The cross is the most significant legal transaction in history because our sins were placed on Jesus at Calvary. Thus everything the devil brings against us has already been defeated.
We have been blessed with a unique identity in Christ. To walk in victory and receive spiritual authority, we must be connected to Christ and remain unified with Him. Just like people defending themselves in court without legal representation, we lose all authority when we work independently from Christ. Christ has forgiven us, canceled the debt of sin we owed, and brought us back to life. He triumphs over the devil on our behalf again and again when we follow His lead. Embrace the forgiveness and the victory that He is offering you. Realize that you are in a battle, but be comforted by the knowledge that you are already on the winning side as a Christian.
Getting Started
1. Can you think of a time when someone protected or defended you?
2. How does it feel when someone stands up for you or when you stand up for someone else?
Let’s Get Personal
1. In what ways have you trusted the wisdom of the world rather than the wisdom of Christ?
2. In what ways have you defended your sin in an attempt to win your own heavenly court case rather than trusting in the victory that Christ has already won for you?
3. What areas of your life do you need to surrender to Christ where you have been working independently from Him?
Take the Next Step
1. What is one deception that you need to remove from your thinking? What verse in the Bible replaces that deception with the truth?
2. What would it look like this week if you were able to move forward in living a victorious Christian life? What do you need to do to fully surrender to Christ and experience the victory he provides?
3. What are some practical and creative ways you can share this truth of Christ’s forgiving work on the cross and His victory with others this week?
4. Want to go deeper? Take time to look at the following passages: Isaiah 53:1-6; Psalm 105:36-37; Matthew 27:37; John 19:30; Romans 5:8-21; 1 Corinthians 1:17-31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 5:21; 10:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Hebrews 2:7-8; 12:24; James 2:10; 1 Peter 3:18-19.
Renew Your Mind
“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14