The portrait of Christ’s victory is associated with our needs, captivity, depravity, sin, and death. Everything that Jesus Christ accomplished was done to vanquish our foes and bring us into His victory and life. It is important for us to know that our heavenly Father sent His Son into this world to bring us into a new life of victory. Through Christ, we are made more than conquerors. We have this confidence that since God is for us, nothing that is against us will prosper. Since God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, He will also through Christ’s victory graciously give us all things, (Romans 8:31-32). In Ephesians 1, the Apostle Paul prayed for the church that we could understand what Jesus has accomplished for us.
Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV84 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
These are important words for our consideration. The things that are being considered have to do with the hope, inheritance, and power that are available to the believer through Christ’s victory. To accomplish this victory for you, God sent His Son. He exerted extreme power to accomplish this victory for every believer.
Ephesians 1:20-23 NIV84 That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.
Why did God do this?
God knew that we all were helplessly lost and bound by sin. He knew that the power of sin and death had captured our souls. God knew that we could not arise victorious over the evil that was against us, so Jesus Christ was sent to bring victory for everyone who puts their trust in Him. Look at this very closely.
Ephesians 4:7-10 NKJV But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Why did He descend and ascend?
God’s Son came down, conquered, and ascended so that He might lead captivity captive and give gifts to men. Anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him may enter into His victory.
The Lord’s victory was achieved because He came down.
Ephesians 4:9 said, “Jesus descended.”
The Greek word is very significant. Jesus was not “cast down,” He “descended,” καταβαίνω — katabaino. The language here is conclusive. If Jesus had been cast down, He would have been a subject of the powers of sin, Satan, and death. Jesus descended with authority and power. He had such power and authority that Satan could not cast Him down. All of the powers and authorities of darkness were not able to destroy Him. Although He was addressing and coming against all of the powers of evil, He was doing so with authority and power.
Colossians 2:13 NLT You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins.
Do you understand the significance of being dead?
David said the dead do not praise the Lord, Psalms 115:17. God did something unheard of. While we were dead in sins, Christ died and made us alive.
Colossians 2:14-15 NLT He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Through the cross, Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities and triumphed over them. The portrait of Christ’s victory is seen in what Jesus did to Satan, death, and the grave.
Colossians 2:15 NASB95 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Christ was victorious in the cross and in the tomb. That sounds contrary to reason, but in the cross and the tomb Jesus waged war against sin and the power of sin. When He arose from the grave He came out in victory. The things that were against us were conquered.
When John was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ on Patmos, he saw Jesus the Conquering King!
Revelation 1:17-18 NKJV And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Christ Jesus has conquered.
The Portrait of Christ’s victory is being revealed in the lives of the believers.
His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension were a glorious triumph over all the hosts of hell and of Satan.
Think about this!
Even on the cross, Jesus conquered and won victory. If you have faith in Jesus Christ, there is nothing to fear, because Jesus Christ has conquered. Every demonic power and principality has been conquered. Christ’s ascension to the place of honor at the right hand of the Father is the exaltation of the Victor.
Jesus’ victory is not only being executed in the glories of heaven, it is being revealed in believer’s lives.
What is happening in us is a continuing revelation of the glory of Christ’s victory. What Jesus achieved through the cross and the grave was solidified and substantiated when He ascended from the grave victorious.
Ephesians tells us that after defeating every foe, Christ exercised the authority and victory that He achieved by giving gifts to men.
Every time you gain victory over evil, it is a declaration and manifestation of the victory of Christ. Part of Christ’s victory is seen in what His grace, mercy, and power has achieved in the redeemed. Christ’s victory has brought about dramatic changes in the lives and bodies of the redeemed. Christ has captivated sinful people by redeeming them by His blood and by bringing them into His victory. This is the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Christ Jesus all things are made new.
From the moment we are redeemed by the blood of Christ and the Spirit of God takes residence within us, the new life in Christ is made evident by the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The nature and character of evil that was predominate in our lives has been replaced with the nature and character of the conquering Christ. What has been defined and revealed as the spirit of Christ’s nature has been given to those He has captivated.
The portrait of Christ’s victory is revealed when the Church, full of the Spirit of life, manifests the fruit of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is demonstrating Christ’s victory and glory in you. We are being made a living demonstration of Christ’s victory. Consider what this means.
You are a living demonstration of Christ’s victory!
There is deep spiritual significance of Christ’s victory that is seen in His people. We have become the fragrance of Christ to the world. We have become the light and salt of the world. We are a living testimony of His victory, power and glory. We have been made the testimony of the power of Christ to everyone around us.
As a result of Christ’s victory, when Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven He gave gifts to men.
We have been given the gift of His salvation and victory. The church has been given diverse and different gifts, ministries and activities that are associated with Christ’s victory. These Spiritual gifts are not a luxury that may be dispensed with. They are given to perfect the Church and demonstrate Christ’s victory and power. As a result of Christ’s gifts, the Church has been made powerful to pull down the strongholds of the enemy. His Spirit and gifts make us powerful and effective. Jesus indicated the extent of what would happen.
John 14:12 NASB95 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”
God is painting the portrait of Christ’s victory on your life.
From the position of conqueror and victor, Jesus Christ has equipped His church and given us His power and victory.
We should recognize our position in Christ Jesus. Since He has conquered and vanquished the enemy, the Church must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We must be mighty through God to the pulling down of the strongholds of the enemy. We must stand strong and having done all to stand we must stand fully clothed with the whole armor of God.
God is not finished painting the portrait of Christ’s victory.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NKJV “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The King of Glory is the Lord God Almighty. He has defeated sin and has brought us into His victory. There is one final step in His victory and we are going to join in with the Lord in that great day. One day soon death is going to be swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:52 NKJV In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Just before God makes a new heaven and new earth, Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire.
