Don't Be Afraid of "Victory"

In an interview on ABC News, when asked about achieving victory in Afghanistan, President Obama said:

"I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur.”

I don’t know about you, but I cannot imagine how it is possible to win over an enemy who wants to cut off your head in the name of Allah and not use the word, “victory.” I cannot imagine being involved in spiritual warfare over the world, the flesh and the devil and not use the word victory to define success.

How about those who are actually engaged in battle over in Afghanistan and they get word that “victory” is not something their country is aiming for. Well, if victory is not something we are trying to accomplish, then what? I know the president said that his aim is to keep America safe and from experiencing anymore attacks. But how is that possible when the enemy we are facing knows full well the term “victory” as it is applied to them winning over us.

When I read our president’s words, I thought of what John wrote in his book: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work” (1 John 3:8). Jesus knew that the best way to achieve success over His enemy was to “destroy” his works. Sounds like Jesus would settle for nothing less than victory.

Whenever the bible uses the word “overcome” with reference to Christians, it means nothing less than achieving victory over the enemy. For example, with reference to the devil, it is written about the saints in the end times: They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (Rev. 12:11 NIV).

With reference to the flesh, the old nature we carry around with us, we read these words from Paul, 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 7:24-25)!

And with reference to the world, John adds this: For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:4-5 NIV). Notice the use of the word “victory” by John. He said, “This is the victory that has overcome the world.”

Now listen carefully. This may not sound popular but it’s the fact: Life is about winning and losing. There are those who win and those who lose. There are those who succeed and those who fail. There are those who live and those who die. There are those who gain and those who have lost. There are those who make it and those who do not. My point is this: Victory and defeat are things that are CHOSEN! People choose to either win or lose. Now winning should not be defined by the world, but by God. In God’s eyes, a winner is someone who loses his life in order to save it (Matt. 16:25). But if one does not have victory has his or her goal, then winning and overcoming is not possible. If you chose to win, you cannot help to choose to be victorious.

Note: By the way, it was not Emperor Hirohito who signed the surrender to MacArthur. On September 2, 1945, General Yoshijiro Umezu and Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu represented Japan in signing the Instrument of Surrender aboard the Battleship Missouri.