Battle Training Part 3: Identifying the Victory

Welcome back superheroes with super armor! Today we venture into our 3rd and final training - Identifying the Victory. (Didn't catch Parts 1 or 2? No worries - Part 1: ID the Enemy and Part 2: Fight the Good Fight)

Let's begin by reading our key scripture:

"... be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor so that you will be able to resist in the evil day...  Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10-17

Maybe you don't feel like a superhero just yet.  Maybe you're thinking, "I am way too beat up to fight this battle - much less have any victory." I'm going to challenge that thinking because I know what you are made of. You are made from the hands of the Creator of the Universe. He has clothed you with His armor and has plans of good for you as you humble yourself before Him.

What does victory look like?

Check out this clip from the movie "Cars" where 3 cars are in a tie-breaking race for the "Piston Cup."

Who won the race?

Was it the green car (Chick Hicks)? Sure - he technically crossed the finish line first and won the empty cup.

Was it the red car (Lightning McQueen)? Sure. He gave up something of seeming value for the good of someone else. Nobody can walk away from that and gain nothing.

Was it the blue car (the King)? The King walked away with all the bumps and bruises. This was his last race, and he crashed... hard. He may feel the impacts of this race for the rest of his life - yet, in my opinion, he had true victory.

The King represents me on a lot of days... can anything come from such deep bruises and aches?

Honestly, the King represents me on a lot of days... I feel like I've crashed and burned. I ache all over, and it's easy to believe that nothing good can come from such a deep ache. But much like the King's situation, God provides us with strange victories in our lives that may not be that recognizable to the human eye.

You're still wondering how King had any kind of victory... he allowed Lightning McQueen to push him over the finish line. With this, he witnessed a true change of heart in a car that was once so arrogant and self-seeking. Earlier in the movie, the King tried to invest in and provide Lightning with wisdom, but, at that point, Lightning blew him off.

Oh, how the King loved the race. Because of his accident and then his humility to allow someone to push him across the finish line, many cars/people would embed this race into their hearts and minds for a lifetime. They truly got to experience and see something amazing. The race King loved so much was exemplified to a new level.

Victory Sightings

• There are 4 men who now have restored, healthy marriages and integrity because God purified their minds, leading them to lay aside pornography. Beyond healthy marriages, they are doing amazing things in their communities - serving as a counselor, serving our country overseas, serving as a mentor to at-risk children in the community, and they are amazing parents.

• One friend put down his drug of choice for the first time after a 40-year addiction. Though He loved God for years, His relationship and His service to God had been paralyzed by the addiction. After being freed from addiction, he still dealt with severe chronic illness and pain, but this man is completely FREE. You can see it in every interaction with every nurse, every person he chats with on an elevator - every aspect of his life screams "FREEDOM!"

•  My friend spent the majority of her adult life struggling with very difficult health issues.  Her ailing health was certainly not what she and her husband had in mind when they said "I do" decades earlier. During her life, she had every right to give up, not invest in others, and be bitter, yet her funeral overflowed the church. It was the most amazing celebration of a woman who loved and encouraged others up until the moment she passed from this life to the next.  There was story after story of her amazing love.

• In my own story, I look at where I was a year ago.  The fog was so deep after losing Elliot and going through intensive surgery - this was even before I lost my Mom. I essentially had to walk away from my career because I wasn't functioning well.  Most would not consider this victory.  I do.  The humility required of me allowed me to survive the deepest grief I've ever experienced. It allowed me to accept the love and help of others with grace, and I believe it has become the heartbeat of our marriage.  When many other marriages crumble under this type of grief and pain, we have been given the blessing of thriving - together.  That is victory at its core.  I love God; He is so good to us.