1 John 5:4: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
It’s a scene from one of the “Star Trek” TV series. Worf, the Klingon, is captured by the evil Dominion. They intend to use him as a practice dummy in hand-to-hand combat for their lethal ground troops, and so they do. They bring out soldier after soldier to take Worf on, and they go at it. It’s never very long before the bad guys get tired of getting beat up, and they “tap out” and quit. So, after Worf’s been taking on all comers for most of the day, they finally bring out their biggest and baddest, the one warrior they know will be able to win.
They begin to battle, and Worf is just too weak from the day’s struggles. He is little more than a punching bag for the bad guy to work out on. But Worf will not “tap out” like all the other beaten soldiers. He keeps getting up, no matter how many times he is knocked down, no matter how injured he is. He simply will not quit.
It is obvious that this valiant warrior has won the respect and admiration of all the Dominion troops, including the one now beating him up. They all begin to beg him to tap out and quit, but he will not. Finally, out of sheer exasperation, the warrior who is beating him stops and “taps out” himself. When asked by his enraged commander why he has done this, he says, resigned, “I cannot defeat this man. I can only kill him.”
Think about that for a moment: “I cannot defeat this man. I can only kill him.”
They could not defeat Jesus. They could only kill Him. He was unstoppable and unflappable in His pursuit of the cross. He was betrayed, beaten, bruised, downcast and downtrodden, but He was not defeated in His goal of obtaining salvation for you and me. And because of the cross, He lives today for God’s glory and our good.
How about you? You have an enemy. The forces of Satan are seeking to defeat you. Can you be deflated, discouraged, destroyed and even defeated by the devil? Are you an easy target for him and his forces?
Let me give you a spiritual strength test: How much weight can the devil put on you before you collapse? How much pain can he give you before you quit? How much discouragement can he give you before you lay down and give up?
Let it be said as you move forward in life that no one can stop you in your pursuit of the cross and Christ. Let the enemy know that no matter how many times life knocks you down, by the grace of God and the power of His might, you are going to get right back up.
The devil can discourage you, deflate you and even destroy you, but because of the cross he can never defeat you. Yes, they may kill you, as many have given their lives for our Savior down through the centuries, but they will never defeat our Savior and so they will never defeat you.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Watch sermons and read sermon texts and other articles online at www.tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack Ward’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Watch his sermons on his Facebook page. He also can be seen on Rumble, Bitchute and Brighteon.