"In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37
The world tells us that victory comes after the battle. God tells us that victory comes before it.
That is what makes faith look so strange to those watching us.
Imagine the Israelites standing before Jericho. The city was heavily fortified. Its walls towered above them. Any military expert would have ordered ladders, battering rams and an assault plan.
God ordered a walk.
In Joshua 6:2, before a single stone had fallen, God told Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands."
Notice He did not say, "I will deliver." He said, "I have delivered." The victory had already been won in God's mind.
No attack. No weapons. No strategy meeting. Just surrender and obedience.
To the people of Jericho it must have looked ridiculous. Yet every step the Israelites took was a declaration that God had already won the battle. And the walls fell down, right?
Many years ago, I faced my own fallen wall. Quite literally. I was Chairman of my housing society when a huge compound wall collapsed into the compound below. The neighbours were understandably upset. Then things became worse. They began claiming an additional 4,500 square feet of our land. My committee met in emergency session. "We must negotiate," they said.
"Negotiate what?" I asked.
They gave me until the next day to come up with a better answer.
That evening my wife and I prayed about it and I waited.
That was my march around Jericho.
And that same night at 9 pm, a call came from our local corporator. "Come and meet the MLA tomorrow morning," he said.
I was stunned. When we met him, he carefully examined the matter, ensured that we did not lose a single square foot of land, and helped resolve the issue. We rebuilt the wall and retained every inch of our property.
Looking back, I realise what I did was surrender to God. Why? Because from Jesus' death on the cross comes an astonishing truth. The power of God is now available to us. When Jesus died, He won the victory over sin, death and every force that stands against God's purposes. That victory is not something we have to earn. It is something we inherit. That is why Paul writes in Romans 8:37, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
The victory has already been won.
When we understand this, prayer changes. We stop praying as defeated people hoping for a miracle. We pray as children of God who know that Christ has already conquered.
So, believe that through His death you are already a conqueror. Then pray victoriously.
And watch what God does, as walls fall long before the first stone hits the ground…!
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
