The God Of Victory

The God Of Victory

Bible: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (ROMANS 12:21).

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According to ancient Greek beliefs, Nike was the goddess of victory. Nike fought on the side of the Olympian gods, gaining a victory over the mighty Titans. As a result, she became a symbol of winning. But in the story, Nike’s powers were not just limited to warfare. She also became a favourite goddess of athletes who wanted to win their sports. The Romans made her one of their goddesses too and gave her the Latin name Victoria.

These beliefs were still active when Paul travelled around teaching about Jesus. Because victory was highly valued by the people he met, when he talked about Christianity, he used words his audience could understand. In his letters, he described Jesus as the One who leads us in a military procession of triumph (2 CORINTHIANS 2:14-17) and compared the Christian life to someone training for the ancient Olympic games (1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27).

Paul also used the idea of victory when talking about our struggles and people who hurt us. “Overcome [be victorious over] evil with good” (ROMANS 12:21). This may mean showing kindness when someone says mean things or looking out for people we don’t like. We’ll never live out such an attitude of love in our own strength. But with Jesus, we have God’s power. Jesus Christ is the real God of victory.

GOD WILL GIVE US THE VICTORY WHEN WE JOIN HIM IN THE FIGHT.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries