Topic: The Winning Mindset
Key scripture: Luke 14:31-32
Key verse: “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?” Luke 14:31
The first and most important weapon a Christian soldier must-have is a winning mindset. Jesus the greatest leader of all time and eternity prepared his disciples for life using analogies that made it easy for all, including children to understand his message. What is the guarantee that we will win this battle of the mind? What do we have that assures of victory? Do we know who or what we are up against? These are some of the questions we must answer in this series.
Anyone who becomes a follower of Christ is called to enlist in the army and Jesus is our King.
We march into battle as his soldiers; we acknowledge that it is not just our fight but the battle of the kingdom. Though we seem to fight alone, we are all in the fight together.
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane was faced with the reality of the battle, he knew what the opposition had against him, and he also knew who was with him and he gallantly faced the cross.
Have you sat down to review the cost of being a Christian? Do you understand what it means to be a soldier of Christ? Paul prepared Timothy to know what was ahead for him as a soldier.
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2Timothy 2:3
We are invited to enlist in the army whose victory has already been secured. Hallelujah! In the battle between the Philistines and Israel in 1 Samuel 17:8-9, the champion of the philistines gave them a challenge;
Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! 9 If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!
He was so confident in himself that he came out every day for forty days, morning and evening to taunt them.
For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.1 Sam 17: the 16
He did not even consider the size of the Philistine army with him, but rather his confidence was on his stature, his weapons, and his past victories. Goliath exuded so much confidence that the King and the people of Israel were intimidated.
When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. Verse 11
Nothing happened until a man with the winning mindset showed up. David showed up on the scene without any trace of fear in his heart for the giant because he was assured of himself, who was with him, and the effectiveness of his weapons.
But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”
The Christian, who will win life battles in the times we live in, must have the right mindset to face the enemy. Our champion, Jesus has fought and won the battle for us. Now he sits at the right hand of God waiting till his enemies are made his footstool.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
We are on the winning side, see yourself as God sees you and face life today knowing the end of the story is in your favor because of who you are, whose you are and where you stand! Onward Christian soldier!
Prayer
Father, l thank you for your assurance today, that my victory is guaranteed, l rededicate myself to enlist in your army and enforce my victory daily until l receive my crown.
Confession: I am on the winning side, l have enough to overcome my adversaries through my union with Christ!