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I want to read from Vince Lombardi who was a great NFL football coach and Vince Lombardi said, “Winning is not a sometime thing, it’s an all-the-time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit - unfortunately so is losing!”

Now I’m going to say that one more time, because he was a great coach and he coached people to their greatest potential and their greatest abilities. “Winning is not a sometime thing, it’s an all-the-time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit - unfortunately so is losing!”

That’s  Vince Lombardi.

Now let me quote the Apostle Paul: “Now thanks to be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14). In other words the Apostle Paul just had the understanding that God always causes us to triumph in Christ.

How many of you are in Christ? How many know that when you got born again you just didn’t get saved…you got in Christ, in union with Christ. So the same life that is in Christ is in you. The same righteousness that is in Christ is in you. The same blessing that is in Christ is in you, the same authority that is in Christ is in you. God sees you in Christ!

And so Paul uses that phase 130 times, talking about who we are and what we have, not what we’re trying to be and not what we’re trying to get. No, he focuses on who we (already) are and what we (already) have because we are in Christ. He uses this phase 130 times. Paul uses this phase to totally knock the devil upside the head!

See Yourself As God Sees You
“Now thanks be unto God who always causes me to triumph.” You see, when Paul says “in Christ” that means that I am an equal participant with the triumph of Jesus Christ. God sees us in Christ. I like to say it this way: if you are not impressed with who you are in Christ, you just haven’t seen Him lately!

Should I say that one more time? If you—as a believer—if you see yourself as struggling, weak, and just a beggar just barely getting along, then you don’t see yourself the way God sees you in Christ.

The beginning of victory is to see yourself the way God sees you in Christ.

God Always Makes Me Win
You also need to declare that you are who God says you are. You need to say, “I have what God says I have; I can do what God says that I can do.” And then begin to act like it even if you don’t feel that way. Why? Because actions are greater than emotions. You are putting your faith to work. You are acting on what you believe.

Don’t ‘reason’ things away either. Just tell yourself, “that is so and I’m who God says I am…and I have what God says I have!”

I don’t believe Paul was a sad, dejected guy who simply said, “Oh, it’s just so bad!” No, Paul said that God always causes him to triumph in Christ. Always. Paul said “I don’t lose, I don’t lose!” That is the type of mentality we need. If not, we couldn’t be chained up next to a person like the Apostle Paul in a prison cell for very long.

Paul said God makes him win. One translation says it this way: “Jesus Christ makes me win in everything and everywhere. He always causes me to triumph and in every place, everywhere!”

I remember when I traveled around as an evangelist for many years. It seemed like every time I’d talk to the local Pastor he would tell me about a special devil in that town. I’d hear about this kind of devil, and others (in different towns) would tell me about that kind of devil. It seemed like people knew more about the devil than about the triumph of Christ and who they are in Christ. People would say, “Well, I would be winning if it weren’t for this problem….”

Are you listening? Paul said I don’t lose; he said I win wherever I go and He always causes me to triumph! Another translation puts it this way: “God leads me and causes me to win in everything.” Paul had just a consciences of the triumph of Christ. Therefore, regardless of what you and I are working on and growing in and regardless of the challenges were facing, God wants us to live in the conscience of the triumph of Christ.

When it comes to our enemy, there is only one kind of devil…and that’s a defeated one! That’s the only kind. It doesn’t matter if you are facing a tall or short devil; it doesn’t matter if it is hairy, bald, skinny or fat. Whether it’s a financial devil or a family devil, just remember that all of them have been defeated.

Your triumph is connected to what God has said in His Word. Write down Colossians 2:15 because it says: “Having spoiled principalities and powers He made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it” or through the cross or in Himself. In other words what Jesus did was spoil or defeat the principalities and powers. In fact, He made a show of them; He made a show.

The Holy Spirit Is In Show Business
If you read John 14, 15, and 16 you’ll see the Holy Spirit is in “show” business. He’s in show business because Jesus goes on and on and says how He (the Holy Spirit) will show…He will show you…He will show things. Jesus said the Holy Spirit wants to bring a demonstration of everything God has done in Christ. And He wants to show that in the earth through you and me and through the victory that belongs in our lives which He said is ours.

Jesus wants us to walk around and say “I just want to put on a show right now! Just a demonstration that Jesus Christ is Lord, Amen! Hallelujah!” When Jesus spoiled principalities and powers He striped and dethroned them—right down to the last devil. He disarmed Satan and every kind of spirit that would be in operation against you. Jesus disarmed them, dethroned them, striped them, and exposed them.

When Jesus roused from the dead, He had a parade through downtown eternity and demonstrated to everybody that Satan is a defeated foe!

Paul simply says that our triumph comes from what God did in Christ. Everything God did in Christ He did it for you and me; not only that, but He set the credit to our account as though we did it—as if we were there. He made it our victory! Because of that, we can say “Ha, Ha Ha!” to the devil.

Remember, this is not where you finish up after 30 years of being a Christian. This is where you start as a Christian; this is where you live as a Christian and this is where God works on you as a Christian. Hallelujah!

This is the result of the Holy Ghost doing His job. He’s not just the head of God’s goose-bump department. Jesus said that the Holy Ghost takes the things of Christ and show’s them to us. Do you believe that?

The Holy Spirit wants to show it to you and show it through you…and that is why God always causes us to triumph!


Source: Winning In Everything by Mark Hankins
Excerpt permission granted by MHM Publications

Author Biography

Mark Hankins
Web site: Mark Hankins Ministries
 
Mark and Trina Hankins travel nationally and internationally preaching the Word of God with the power of the Holy Spirit. The vision of MHM is to take the spirit of faith, the message of who the believer is in Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit to every generation and to every nation. Mark and Trina Hankins have been in full-time ministry for over thirty five years. Through church services, leadership conferences, mission trips, publications, radio, television, Bible schools, and the internet, MHM is reaching the world with the Word of God. Mark is known widely for his unique anointing to minister on the subjects of faith and the believer’s identification in Christ.
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