“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

There are a few last things I want to share when it comes to victorious living. First, when David prepared to fight Goliath, he recalled the previous battles in which the Lord gave him victory.

I Samuel 17:34-37

“But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (NIV)

The Jewish people of that time carried a staff. On this staff, they wrote the important events of their lives and important family promises from God. When Saul questioned David’s ability to fight, David read about all the times that the Lord had given him victory. This is not your first battle. The Lord has brought you through to victory in the past. In the middle of your trial or battle, remember the times the Lord gave you victory. This will build your confidence to walk in victory right now. Your past battle bruises become your future battle strategies!

Secondly, keep in mind that David took five smooth stones to fight Goliath. This was not because he might miss; he knew that victory was assured. Goliath had four brothers! David was equipped to fight more battles that might come about because of this one! This shows us that the anointing gives you abundance in the middle of your battle; the anointing prepares you for future battles in the middle of your current battle!

In Judges 3:1-2, the Bible tells us that God left some Canaanites in the land so that the Israelites would learn how to fight. We need the fight and the battle to learn the strength of our God in the middle of our weakness. We need the fight and the struggle not for our strength, but to realize the strength of our God. We fight back by releasing Christ’s victory through our vessels.

Kelly McDonald, Jr.