Faith In Christ Is The Victory

SERMON OUTLINE

• 💭 Consider this: Which area of your life do you most need to surrender to Christ’s victory: your struggles, temptations, decisions, or fears about the future?
• I. Faith In Christ Will Give Us The Victory
• II. Faith In Christ Will Cause Us To Live For Him

TRANSCRIPT

I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our text for this morning's message is taken from Colossians 2:15, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” In the preceding verses, the Apostle Paul exhorted the Colossians that through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were spiritually united with Him. And once they were united with Him, they were forever united with Him. They would never be separated from Him. As Romans 8:38–39 tells us, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.”

And through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, they received the forgiveness of sins - past, present, and future. Once they were forgiven, they were forever forgiven. They would never be condemned for the penalty of their sins. As Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” When Jesus died on the cross, He said, ‘It is finished,’ which means the work of salvation had been accomplished. Satan cannot do anything against the finished work of Christ. But what he would do for the sinners is to cause them to reject the Gospel and die in their sins. And he would do that through all the false religions in this world which tell them that there are many ways to salvation - that Jesus is just one of the many ways.

That is a blatant lie. For the believers, Satan’s greatest instrument, which is death, has been defeated when Jesus died and rose from the dead. That was why Paul, as if mocking at death, said in 1 Corinthians 15:54–57, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” However, what Satan would do to the believers is to cause them to stumble, be confused, and to doubt God through trials, troubles, struggles, afflictions, divisions, and deceptions, that they may be rendered ineffective in living godly lives, in worshipping and serving God, and in advancing the Gospel work. But we must always bear in mind that Satan is a defeated enemy. This is what we want to learn from this verse, whereby Paul reminded the Colossians what faith in Jesus Christ had secured for them. The title of our message is: Faith in Christ Is the Victory.

I. Faith In Christ Will Give Us The Victory

Our first point is: Faith in Christ Will Give Us the Victory. Paul began in the first part of Colossians 2:15, “And having spoiled principalities and powers.” The word ‘spoiled’ means to strip off or to disarm. In other words, their powers had been stripped off or disarmed. The word ‘principalities’ refers to evil beings or fallen angels. And the word ‘powers’ (in Greek dunamis) is from where we get the English word for ‘dynamite’. When we hear the word dynamite, we think of something powerful, right? When it is used in connection with principalities, it is also a reference to fallen angels who were vested with power and authority.

Some theologians believe that principalities and powers were different ranks of fallen angels. They were the evil forces of this world. Whatever the case, they are the instruments of Satan, who is the prince of the power of the air. Remember, Satan cannot snatch away the believer’s salvation, but he wants to cause the believer to stumble and doubt God and be rendered ineffective. But here Paul said, ‘Christ had spoiled’ - stripped off or disarmed - ‘their powers. He had conquered principalities and powers.’ So you and I do not need to be afraid. We do not need to give in. We do not need to surrender. Nor do we need to do the conquering. All we need to do is to stand on the ground on which Christ had conquered. And we do that through faith in Him, believing that He had conquered the power of darkness.

Our faith is not based on this world. It is not because of our status and accomplishments or our own wisdom and abilities. This faith is in Christ, the Almighty God. Faith in Christ will give us the victory. Consider all the things in life that we need to have victories over. We need victory over the struggles of life. Principalities and powers may use the struggles of life to trouble us. I do not know what you are going through right now. Perhaps some of you may be challenged with certain issues, going through difficult times, or facing a devastating crisis, and your minds are filled with worries and anxieties. You try and try to find a solution, but somehow there seems to be no way out. Sometimes our lives can be overwhelmed with trials, difficulties, and struggles.

Do you remember the story of Joseph? Joseph is an excellent example of someone who had experienced serious disappointments in life, but eventually he was victorious. How did that happen? It was not because of who Joseph was. After all, he was betrayed by his brothers and he became a prisoner or a slave - not because of anything Joseph had done. He would have been doing what other slaves would have done. He was in the cold and dark dungeon. But he was not defeated - all simply because of his faith. He believed in an all-sufficient God. Subsequently, instead of remaining as a slave throughout his entire life, he became the second most important man in Egypt. Later on, he was able to say to his brothers who had betrayed him in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Faith in Christ will give us the victory.

We need victory over our sins and temptations. Perhaps you have been tormented by some sins and temptations that so easily beset you, and you find no victory. Time and again you have vowed never to go back to that sin again. But sadly, you just cannot overcome that temptation, and you end up sinning again and again and again. You may be asking yourself, ‘Will I be a failure all the days of my life?’ Well, the Word of God says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “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.” Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” The word always tells us that it is not just one victory, but the daily victories that we need in our lives - victories over our sins and temptations. Faith in Christ is the victory.

We need victory over our decisions. Life is made up of decisions. We are always being confronted with decisions that we have to make from day to day. Some of these decisions will lead us to a successful and happy life. Others will lead us to a life of defeat and despair. As parents, we want our children to make the right decisions in life, especially when we are not around to teach them, or when we have to send them overseas for whatever reasons, and we wonder who will help them. If we teach our children to look to the world, we know that this world is wicked and sinful. This world will show no mercy to our children. If we teach our children to rely on their own wisdom and understanding, we know that our heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9).

Where then can we find victory? Let us take comfort from the Word of God. 1 John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God” - that means a believer - “overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world” - and where does this victory come from? The Apostle John said - ”even our faith.” So it is of tremendous importance that we look to Jesus Christ, who stands at the crossroads of life, seeking to give us direction through His Word that is “a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path” (Psalm 119:105), without which we will be groping in spiritual darkness. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God will help us - our lives, our church, our families, our loved ones—to make the right decisions that will give us the victory. Faith in Christ is the victory.

Finally, we need victory over death. Death is an appointment that all of us must keep, and death is the last enemy that all of us must face, whether we like it or not. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. No man is exempted. All men have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. All of us must die - not just the physical death, but we must face the judgment that will send us to eternal damnation. We thank God the Bible does not stop there. It continues to say, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world. He lived a perfect life on this earth and ultimately paid the price of sin on the cross. He was crucified. He shed His precious blood. He died and was buried. But death could not consume Him, and on the third day, He rose again from the dead. He alone is the resurrection, and the life, and whosoever believeth in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). And whosoever believeth in Him will have this victory over death.

As believers, we may still die the physical death, but our souls will go to be with the Lord immediately. Our bodies will be buried, and when our Lord Jesus comes in the clouds, our bodies will be raised from the graves to be united with our souls in a glorified body. What a victory! Do you believe Him, or will you continue to harden your heart?

Look at the second part of verse 15: “He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” The word ‘triumph’ is a very unique word. In the New Testament during the Roman times, a triumph was a magnificent procession, and it could only be used to refer to one person and on one occasion - and that was for a victorious general, the highest military honour. It was the time when he returned from a victorious battle and entered into the city in a chariot, followed by rulers, ministers, judges, and musicians, together with all the spoils from the enemies - the gold, silver, and precious stones—as well as those enemies who were captured in the battle.

This is the image of triumph. So, in those days, they would not simply use the word triumph unless four conditions or requirements were fulfilled. Firstly, at least 5,000 of the enemies must have fallen in one battle. Anything less than that was not considered a triumph. Secondly, the general must be the actual commander-in-chief. He must be the person commanding and fighting in the battlefield. Thirdly, he must gain certain territories of the enemy. So it was not just an attack - he must win. Lastly, the victory must be over a foreign enemy, and not a civil war. Only when all these four criteria were met, which means it was a total victory, then it was considered a triumph.

Notice Paul said, “He made a show of them openly.” The phrase ‘made a show of them openly’ means to make them a public spectacle. When the victorious general returned from the battlefield and entered into the city, the people would line the streets. Basically, there would be two groups of people. The first group would be those who were the enemies captured during the battle. The second group would be those who were faithful to the general. They had always been supporting and serving him. They would rejoice when they saw him entering into the city triumphantly, and he would invite them to participate in the procession. It was a very amazing event - to openly declare his victory.

You see, my friend, our Lord Jesus Christ was the great conqueror. He fought against the worst enemy of all - the devil and his principalities and powers. He alone fought the battle. He was the Commander-in-Chief, so to speak. He not only gained some territories - He completely, totally, and absolutely defeated His enemies: sin, death, and Satan. That is a vivid picture of “He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

But the picture does not stop there. Maybe you can turn with me to 2 Corinthians 2:14–16, which was our responsive reading. Allow me to read for you, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” Remember when the Roman conqueror entered into the city triumphantly, there would be two groups of people lining the streets: the defeated enemies and his people, his supporters. There would be incense burning everywhere, and there would be flowers all over the streets to welcome the conqueror. To the enemies who were waiting for their death, the smell of the burning incense and flowers would be the smell of death. But to those people who belonged to the conqueror, the smell of the burning incense and flowers would be the smell of life.

II. Faith In Christ Will Cause Us To Live For Him

This brings us to our second point: Faith in Christ Will Cause Us To Live For Him. Using this imagery of the word triumph, the triumphant entry of the Roman conqueror, do you realise that our Lord Jesus Christ will come again as a conqueror? But Jesus is not just any Roman conqueror. He is the great conqueror - the ultimate conqueror - and He promised that He will come again. This is the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His first coming, He was born in a manger, the son of a poor carpenter. But in His second coming, He will be the King of kings and the Lord of lords in all His glory and honour. Three times in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, Revelation, Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly.” Jesus will return again.

I believe I’ve shared this testimony before, but for those who have not heard it, allow me to do so again. In the 1940s in the Philippines, there was this general named Douglas MacArthur from the United States of America. He was a hero during the Japanese occupation. He was famous for the deliverance of the Filipinos. At that time, the Japanese soldiers seemed unstoppable, and they had occupied many parts of Asia, including the country I came from - Singapore. In August 1943, the Japanese soldiers managed to occupy certain parts of the Philippines. Because they were so powerful, the Americans were forced out of the island, and the Filipino natives were devastated. They were so discouraged that many of them were prepared to give up their lives.

But General Douglas MacArthur gave them a hope. Just before MacArthur was forced to return back to the United States, he said to the people of the Philippines in three words, ‘I will return.’ And with this hope, the Filipinos lived on. They clung onto this little hope that someday he would return. They went all over the place sharing this little hope - that someday General Douglas MacArthur would return again. Sure enough, about one year later, in October 1944, General MacArthur came back and fought against the enemies. This time he was victorious. At the end of the battle, he said to the people, ‘People of the Philippines, I have returned. By the grace of the Almighty God, I have returned.’ This is a true story of the Filipinos, and today many Filipinos would remember this famous slogan of Douglas MacArthur: I will return.

But what about us Christians? Jesus also said, “I will return.” Do we believe in Him? Do we believe Him like the way the Filipinos believed in Douglas MacArthur, who was but a mere human being? If you and I believe in Jesus’ words, then we must make manifest the savour of His knowledge in every place. In other words, continue the work that the Lord has entrusted unto us - to carry the gospel and to tell this truth to everyone that Jesus will return again. When was the last time you shared the gospel? When was the last time you gave out a gospel tract? And when was the last time you told someone that, ‘my Lord said, “I will return”’? And surely, He will return.

May the Lord forgive us if we have not been that fervent. Jesus will come again, and we must believe and cling onto this hope that we have in Him - when we live for Him, sharing the gospel wherever we go, and live in anticipation that He will return soon. When He comes, we will rejoice - and it will not just be a simple rejoicing; it will be a great rejoicing that words can never express. And then Jesus will say to us, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Come, enter into the joy of thy Lord.’ Wherever we go, we want to carry the gospel and tell others that my Lord and Saviour will return soon.

Recently, I was invited to visit and share the gospel in the prisons, the children’s orphanage, and to the homeless in Indonesia this coming November, and I decided to go. Then a group of my Christian friends heard about it, and they wanted to join in too. So the organiser decided to rent two mini-vans. Then the families and relatives of my Christian friends heard about it, and they wanted to join in. My own sister and cousin also want to come. So now the organiser tells me that he has to rent a bus. Yesterday my son said to me that he wanted to go too, but I said to him that it is already filled up.

You know how wonderful it is to have so many people who want to make manifest the knowledge of Christ -the gospel everywhere - even in the prisons, to the children living in the orphanage home, and to the homeless. But there will always be people who would reject the gospel, who are indifferent to the gospel when we preach. These people have hardened their hearts whenever the gospel message was preached to them. You and I are just instruments to preach the gospel. It will be a savour of life unto life for those who receive it, but it will be a savour of death unto death to those who reject it.

We do not know who will receive the gospel. What we need to know is that we must be faithful to share it. For those who reject the gospel, they will be standing on one side of the street, but they will not be rejoicing, because they will be waiting for their death. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” emphatically in John 14:6. Without the Lord Jesus Christ - the one who was crucified on the cross, shed His precious blood, died and was buried, and rose again from the dead - the day will come when they will stand on one side of the street and experience the savour of death.

The question we need to ask ourselves today is: which side of the road are you standing on? Are you standing on the side of death, or are you standing on the side of life? If you are still an unbeliever and you are lingering on the side of death, today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may never come. Come and believe in Jesus before it is too late. I once shared a message in a particular church. After the service, I spoke to a young man. It was in Malaysia, in a little town called Gaman. After I shared with him, he went into his car and he drove off. The following week I came back to the church again, and I was told that that night he had an accident and he died. Tomorrow may never come.

This may be the last time you would hear that Jesus is the only one who can save you, and He will come again. For those of us who are -believers, we must live for Him - be a sweet savour and carry the gospel wherever we go. Nothing is more precious in this world than the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we ought to live in anticipation that my Lord Jesus, the ultimate great conqueror, will return soon. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Truly, faith in Jesus Christ is the victory. All of us who believe in Him, let us also live victoriously - not based on our own strength, but in the strength that our Lord Jesus has given to us through His Spirit. Let us pray.

Our Father in Heaven, indeed, even as we consider this one verse in Colossians 2:15, there are so many wonderful lessons for us to learn. Even as we consider the word triumph, we know that our Lord Jesus is the ultimate great conqueror who completely, totally, and absolutely defeated our enemies. He alone fought the battle, and He alone won the battle over sin, death, and Satan; of which today, we - who profess faith in Him are able to live victorious lives - all because of Him. But we must also remember that we ought to live in anticipation of His soon return. For our Lord Jesus said, “I will come again. I will come again. I will come again.”

If Jesus said it once, it is already enough. But He repeatedly said it, even in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible - three times so emphatically told to us. How can we not put it into practice? May Thou convict our hearts that all of us will believe that our Lord Jesus will return soon, and may we also live our lives in anticipation of His soon coming. When He comes for us, He will also commend us then, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord.’ This is the greatest desire of our hearts—to hear not the commendations of human beings, but the commendation that cometh from the Almighty God Himself. May we live such a life to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS

A Faith And Love That Shines

A Faith And Love That Shines

Colossians 1:1-4

The Blessedness Of Our Christian Hope

The Blessedness Of Our Christian Hope

Colossians 1:5-6a

The Transforming Power Of The Gospel

The Transforming Power Of The Gospel

Colossians 1:6b-8

The Need For Prayers

The Need For Prayers

Colossians 1:9

Prayer for Spiritual Excellence

Prayer for Spiritual Excellence

Colossians 1:9-12

Walk Worthy Of The Lord

Walk Worthy Of The Lord

Colossians 1:10-11

What Does It Mean To Call God Our Father?

What Does It Mean To Call God Our Father?

Colossians 1:12a

What Does It Mean To Be Citizens Of God’s Kingdom?

What Does It Mean To Be Citizens Of God’s Kingdom?

Colossians 1:12b-13

I Am Redeemed And Forgiven

I Am Redeemed And Forgiven

Colossians 1:14

Christ, The Invisible God

Christ, The Invisible God

Colossians 1:15

Jesus Our Creator Loves Me, This I Know

Jesus Our Creator Loves Me, This I Know

Colossians 1:16-17; Romans 8:37-39

What Is Christ’s Relationship With The Church?

What Is Christ’s Relationship With The Church?

Colossians 1:18

What Does It Mean To Be Reconciled To God?

What Does It Mean To Be Reconciled To God?

Colossians 1:19-22

The Evidence Of Our Salvation

The Evidence Of Our Salvation

Colossians 1:23a

Are We Willing To Suffer For Christ?

Are We Willing To Suffer For Christ?

Colossians 1:23b-24

How Faithful Are We?

How Faithful Are We?

Colossians 1:25-27

What Does It Take To Be Faithful In The Ministry?

What Does It Take To Be Faithful In The Ministry?

Colossians 1:28-29

The Indispensable Component In Serving God

The Indispensable Component In Serving God

Colossians 2:1-2a

This Is What I Wish For You To Have And To Be

This Is What I Wish For You To Have And To Be

Colossians 2:2b-5

Message 3: What is Christ to you? My Covenantal Head!

Message 3: What is Christ to you? My Covenantal Head!

Colossians 2:4-9, 19

The Evidence Of Our Salvation

The Evidence Of Our Salvation

Colossians 2:6-7

Message 4: What is a healthy and sound church? My Covenantal Haven!

Message 4: What is a healthy and sound church? My Covenantal Haven!

Colossians 2:7

Our Spiritual Union With Christ

Our Spiritual Union With Christ

Colossians 2:11-12

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12

What It Means To Be Forgiven

What It Means To Be Forgiven

Colossians 2:13-14

Faith In Christ Is The Victory

Faith In Christ Is The Victory

Colossians 2:15

The Danger Of Being Legalistic

The Danger Of Being Legalistic

Colossians 2:16-17

Human Wisdom Versus God’s Wisdom

Human Wisdom Versus God’s Wisdom

Colossians 2:8-10