Hey there! Life can throw some tough stuff our way, right? But don't worry, this lesson is all about how we can use some biblical wisdom to tackle those challenges head-on and come out on top feeling happy and strong. We'll dive into passages from James and Matthew to see how knowing who we are in Christ, choosing our words wisely, and embracing the idea of victory can help us beat any obstacle. Come along with us as we figure out how to handle life's ups and downs with confidence and a smile. It's all about unlocking victory.
Please turn to James 1.
We all experience challenges in life. But just because problems come up, it doesn’t mean that we’re automatically defeated. To live in victory, we must also live in the world. And the world and other people can give us challenges and problems to deal with and overcome. To live in victory, we must face and get through the problems. So let’s learn how to overcome challenges in life. And to do this, we must (a) know who we are, (b) know what to say, and (c) know that victory is available.
Let’s read James 1:2. It says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” The Classic Amplified reads, “Consider it wholly joyful, my brothers and sisters, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.”
“Consider it wholly joyful”? This was a difficult verse for me to understand. When I read it, several times. How is it possible to look at various problems, trials, and challenges in life, and say, ‘Hey, I’m joyous. I am going to be all joyful while going through this situation.” We must understand that if the Word says it’s possible, that means… we can do it.
Let’s learn more. Please turn to Matthew 8.
I can have joy - in the middle of any situation, any problem. I can have joy - in the middle of a hurricane. A problem may arise in my life, and the Word says I can overcome it. And when I overcome problem, I might as well enjoy it.
Let’s read Matthew 8:24. “And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.” So all of a sudden, there arose a violent storm, and the fellas in the boat were being overcome and covered up by the waves, but Jesus was sleeping. He was Mr. Chill. Everything was flying all around them. The disciples were worrying. They were thinking that they might die. But Jesus was asleep.
Jesus wasn’t surprised by the storm. He knew he could handle the problem. He wasn’t afraid of the situation. Let’s read Matthew 8:26. It says, “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, (he spoke angrily, he condemned it, he punished it with his words), and there came, all at once, a great and wonderful calm, a perfect peacefulness. I think God wants us to do the same.
Turn Back to James 1.
When storms in life approach, when problems arise, when we experience challenges and tribulations, we can use our believing, the power within each of us, and the authority we have been given, to solve the situation and overcome it. We haven’t been given the spirit of fear, but of power. And that’s why we can “count it all joy.”
Please read along while I read the Amplified James 1:2-4 says, “2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brothers and sisters, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith brings out endurance and steadfastness and patience. 4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, mature in your believing, lacking in nothing.”
When a problem comes up, believe, believe the promises we’ve been given, and believing brings out patience. And let’s decide to be joyful in the trial, in the process. We can do this! We are mountain movers! (Mark 11:23). We’re more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37). Our believing has overcome the world! (1 John 5:4). We move, we conquer, we overcome, and we might as well enjoy it.
Let’s decide to be joyful in the process, God will take care of the progress. Let go, let God. Let’s not focus on the storms, the wind, the rain, and the waves, but focus on our believing actions. And we can start that process by knowing who we are.
Know Who You Are
How in the world was Jesus able to sleep in the middle of the storm? Because he knew who he was. And he knew who the disciples that were with him were. He knew that they could use their believing to calm themselves and the storm.
When you know who you are, you know there’s not a problem out there that’s bigger than you. Now, I’m still practicing on solving problems immediately (with the snap of my finger) or by speaking just the right word at the right time. I still make mistakes. I’m far from perfect. And I still can feel overwhelmed and pressured and sad, that’s for sure! But that doesn’t mean that I can’t overcome problems. It may take some time, but I’m assured, convinced, I believe that I will overcome all my problems, no matter how long it takes. We, as individual believers or a united family, have the ability to stand through a storm and overcome it. By knowing who God made you to be and living in that revelation and truth and believing. Personality traits are important, like being kind, shy, knowledgable, responsible, expressive, etc. But we’re talking about living in the identity of who you are in the family of God, as God’s child, having God in Christ in you, in the renewed mind in manifestation, with authority, justification, and righteousness. That’s how God made us. That’s who we are.
If we don’t identify with who we are, with God in Christ in us, we will identify with what the world says we are. And that’s not good. Please turn to 1 Corinthians 10.
Do you know the British rock group The Who? “Who Are You?” is one of their songs. In the song, they ask, who are you? Great song. Gotta listen to it. So, who are you?
Let’s read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and let’s learn a little more about who we are. It says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
That’s who we are. We are strong enough to bear and overcome any storm, and no storm ever lasts forever.
Let’s turn to John 16:33. Let’s read John 16:33 where it says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus overcame the world, so no matter what comes at us, we’re built to do the same. We can overcome the world too. That’s who we are.
There are many more spiritual truths that help us understand and identify with who we are. Let’s remind ourselves of these things, and we’ll remind ourselves also that we can have victory.
We have to know who we are. Now let’s learn what to say.
Please turn to Romans 8:31.
Know What To Say
What should we say while we’re in the middle of a problem in life? Paul says in Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” That’s what we say. Who can be against us? No one. Not a thing. Who’s for us? God. Who can be against us? No one.
Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” So, we say,”God will not hold back anything from me.”
Romans 8:33 says, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.” We can say that I am chosen, blameless, and justified by God.
Romans 8:34 says, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Amplified Classic says, “Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay for our problems], and more than that, he was the one raised from the dead, and who is now at the right hand of God, presently interceding with God for us.” So, what do we say? “God in Christ in us, that spirit, is intervening in all our problems on our behalf.”
Romains 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” We say, “No problem will separate us from the love of God.”
Romans 8:36-37 says, “36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” We say, “We’re more than conquerors.”
Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What should we say? We say, “Nothing and nobody can separate us from the love of God.”
That’s what we can say. Turn to Colossians 3. Let’s learn that victory is available.
Know That Victory is Available
Victory in a situation in life is available if we take the time to consider what we think about. It’s all in the mind. What we think about affects our actions. What we focus on affects how we interact with other people.
Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” We can set our minds and get focused on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only worldly value and not spiritual value]. So, let’s think about what really matters in life.
Turn to Ephesians 6. When we are in disagreement with someone, sometimes we focus not on things above, but on what they said or did to us. And sometimes those people are 100% wrong. I get it.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Hurt people hurt people. Hurt people hurt people. There are a lot of hurt people out there. And sometimes, they hurt others. People are not perfect. I’m certainly not perfect. And I have hurt people. And people have hurt me. But our imperfections come from (a) the flesh (my body is not perfect), (b) the un-renewed mind, and (c) the adversary. So, when dealing with people, focus on the things above more than the things that are on the earth.
Victory Is Waiting for You
Deuteronomy 20:3-4 says, “3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
We don’t have to do what the Old Testament folks did. We don’t have to go out and fight battles and wars with our enemies every day. But when we’re in a spiritual competition, we know that God is with us. Jesus has already won those spiritual battles for us. We already have the victory in all situations. It’s there for us. It’s for our taking. We just have to go out and claim what is rightfully ours.
Conclusion
Today we learned, how to be all joyful while going through a storm in life. We can use our believing to overcome problems. We know who we are. We know what to say. Victory is available, and it’s waiting for us to go out and claim it.
We learned that even in the midst of life’s most challenging storms, we can find joy and peace by anchoring our faith in God's Word. By understanding who we are in Christ, speaking powerful truths over our situations, and embracing the victory that is always available to us, we can overcome any trial. Let us take these lessons to heart, apply them in our daily lives, and face every challenge with a joyful spirit, knowing that God is with us and victory is ours for the taking.
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