Three Hindrances to Victory

Dr. Lester Sumrall, the late missionary, evangelist, and teacher of the Word, discusses the dominion and victory that God has given to us in his book Take It, It's Yours! This is something that I briefly wrote about as well in my posts Faith and Confession and The Power of Prayer. In a nutshell, God gave mankind dominion and victory over the earth and all that was in it when he created Adam, Adam and Eve gave up that victory to the enemy when they gave into sin, Jesus took the victory back in his death and resurrection and gave it back to mankind.

You have dominion and victory on this earth whether you feel like it or not!

However, even though Jesus has given total victory back to us, it is up to us to walk in it. According to Lester Sumrall there are three main things that can hinder us from walking in the victory that already belongs to us:

1. Unbelief - Throughout Jesus' ministry he is constantly referencing faith. Often he commends people for there faith and attributes miracles to it (Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34; 10:52). At other times he rebukes his followers for their lack of faith (Matt. 8:26; 14:31; 16:8). There is even one point where the Bible says that Jesus was hindered from doing miracles, as He wanted to, due to the lack of faith in the region (Matt. 13:58). Just a quick read through the Gospels tells us how important faith is when it comes to walking in the power and authority that Jesus walked in and called us to walk in. If unbelief is hindering you from walking in the victory that God has called you to walk in then get in the Word. Read the Word, meditate on it, quote it, listen to people preach on it, until your faith is built up to the point that you can walk in it!

2. Ignorance - Some people don't walk in victory simply because they don't know that they are supposed to. If that is you then let me assure you, you are supposed to be victorious! 1 Corinthians 15:57 gives us the most concise and straightforward statement telling us that, however it is all throughout the Bible. God has given us total victory through Jesus Christ! It is already ours! We do not have to cower to the devil or his demons. We do not have to allow the world or circumstances to beat us down. We are called to walk in victory and dominion! Mark 16:17-18 says: 

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

This is how we are supposed to live! When we encounter demons we are to cast them out, when we encounter sickness we are supposed to bring healing through laying on of hands, when we encounter attacks of the enemy they are not to harm us!  

3. Sin - Let me be clear, all of your sin has been forgiven through Jesus Christ. When you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior you are made completely righteous in God's eyes and you do not lose that every time you sin. Even all of your future sins that you will commit have been covered in the blood of Christ. However, if you do not learn to walk in the righteousness that you already are you will be hindered from walking in total victory. Paul puts it this way:

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 

Romans 6:15-18

Even though God's grace has made us the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:22), we can still choose to present ourselves to sin making us it's slave. This will hinder us from walking in victory.  Focus on God and getting into His presence and you will begin to recieve the revelation that you are dead to sin and alive in Christ. With this revelation you will find it easier and easier not to sin and to walk in victory.