written by: Carissa Waggoner
What if I told you that you were never a victim? In today’s Christian society, we do suffer, but that does not make us a victim. We come to believe that we need a Savior only because we are broken. We need a Savior also because we do not have the knowledge that God has to make the choices we need to make. We need a Savior because we were created to need a Savior to be guided, protected, and given a purpose.
John 14:26
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Let’s start with temptation. Temptation does not make us powerless victims. Temptation in itself isn’t a sin. It is simply a test of our resolve in our choice to please our loving Savior. It’s really not even about us. It is about Christ’s love on the cross. It’s about the length in which Jesus went to give us the power to accomplish victory over these tests of temptation, not just the wonderful grace we receive if we fail and repent.
Being tempted is not us being victims, but rather an opportunity to be victors. As we do this time and time again with a different mindset, we become stronger, learning that we can rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome. This same power was with Jesus to perform miracles, drive out demons, and to resist satan’s temptations. We can look at temptation as an opportunity to be pleasing to our Lord. We can offer ourselves as a pleasing sacrifice by our love and devotion to God.
Acts 10:37-38
37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
Jesus responded with God’s Word in every attempt of temptation that satan could muster. We too can know how to respond with the same Word. We are not victims of satan or our flesh. We are formidable opponents in a battle for which victory has already been promised and assured.
Matthew 4:1-11
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus answered him, ‘“’It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test…’ “ 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Instead of behaving and responding as weak vessels and victims, we must claim the authority that Jesus has given us. Authority and grace are offered to us through the power of Jesus that lives inside of us.
We can’t keep choosing for sin to reign and govern our lives. This is exactly what satan wants us to believe, that we are powerless. Sin does not reign and govern our lives. We are created to make choices. God is not pleased when we continue to choose less for ourselves than the beautiful life of full surrender.
John 14:15-17
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
We have come to believe as a Christian community that surrendering is a low stance and that we are defeated. That’s not the case. Sin hurts us and it hurts others. Surrendering is simply saying I want better than I can provide on my own. It is acknowledging that we don’t have the full wisdom, knowledge, and power to do so without the One who created us. The Creator knows everything about us. We simply do not possess His knowledge. It does not make us weak to surrender. We surrender in humility in acknowledging God’s sovereignty, but not in weakness. We were always meant to surrender. Surrender is not a plan B. Surrender has always been the plan.
We are never meant to be left alone in this battle against the enemy and our flesh. We were created to need Jesus. Anything other than that was not God’s intent. We are in a relationship with Christ. We have to stop blaming satan and the flesh for our sins. We must take accountability and ownership of our choices. We have a choice to love and obey. We can choose our relationship with Christ, or choose to succumb when tempted and deny the power and authority that lives in us through Christ.
We are either choosing to accept or deny. We can deny Jesus without even saying a word. By our actions, we can deny Christ. We choose to be separated from God. Sin separates us from God. In remembering, we are not victims; we are choosing God’s power. By saying we are victims, we are denying the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
Matthew 10:33
33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Peter denied Jesus 3 times. It was fear that fueled his denial.
What is fueling your denial?
Is there a fear of failure, so you just succumb to temptation?
Is there a fear that God’s promises are not meant for you?
Is it a fear that you will be boring and live a dissatisfied life?
Is it that you simply can not believe that you can be sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit within you?
Is it that you have been living a life in the flesh so long that you believe that is who you are, your identity?
Is it that you don’t know what not living in the flesh even looks like?
You are not alone. If you have answered yes to any of these questions, many have. I have myself experienced times when I doubted God’s love for me. I have wrestled with believing that Jesus’s power lived in me. I have thought that living a life of holiness just can’t be me, that it isn’t who I am. We have to pray and ask for wisdom, revelation, knowledge to understand where we are denying Christ. We need to peel back those onion layers in our hearts to see what deep down lies we believe that are effecting our attitudes and behavior around temptation and surrender.
In order to be transformed, we must renew our minds. We take captive those beliefs that keep us denying Jesus’ transforming power that lives in us and keeps us from falling when tempted. There are lies that satan has told us that we have accepted to be truth, which binds us as if we are a victim, a captive under the reign and governance of God’s enemy, our enemy. We may believe lies, but it is not satan to blame. We make the choice to sin. We have to own up to the responsibility of knowing God’s word so that we will know the Truth and not believe lies. Satan doesn’t make us do anything that we haven’t chosen or set our minds to do.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Do not partner with the one who attempts to torment those whom we love. Instead, take the responsibility to be accountable, take ownership, and surrender that onto our Creator, who has always been the one to govern us under His loving reign by His power and authority over satan and our flesh. We are not alone in this battle. Satan attempts to prove his accusations against us to be true. We must prove him wrong and be blameless.
Pleasing our Creator, our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, is at the core and depths of our hearts. The choice is ours to deny or choose a relationship with Him over everything else, even our own flesh and our own fears. If we have truly died to ourselves, we are dead in the flesh. It no longer exists. We simply keep telling ourselves it does, yet another lie we believe. We ask, “If the flesh is dead, then why is the desire of our flesh so strong at times?”
It’s because we don’t accept the full meaning. We are dead in the flesh, AND Christ lives in our place. We are more than our flesh. We are spirit as well.
Imagine for a moment you walk up to the cross and you see Jesus. You look away for a brief moment, and when you look back again, it is now you upon the cross and Jesus is walking away in your shoes. You no longer exist, yet it is Christ that exists instead.
1 Peter 4:1-2
4 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Surrendering all to Christ is what has always been intended. We are exactly where we are supposed to be. We are not surrendering because we are weak. We surrender because we have a father who loves us. We surrender because we want something better, more meaningful, and full of purpose. We surrender to something greater than just ourselves.
We surrender to whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy. Philippians 4:8
We surrender to have and pour out love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
We surrender to be what love is. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Surrendering isn’t just about us. It is also so we can love others better. We can serve God and bring the Truth to others by our testimonies and examples. Surrendering is not a self serving act it is all encompassing
Christ is now walking in our place. We find refuge in the arms of the Almighty. We are set apart from this world and no longer of it. Your flesh no longer lives. You are not your own. You are no longer a victim and you never were. Your mind is being renewed and you are being transformed. Everyday this is a surrender you make. Everyday you look to see yourself on the cross. Everyday you are accountable to either please or deny Christ.
Let it start with today. Don’t wait and say tomorrow I will surrender. A heart resistant today will find an excuse to be resistant tomorrow. A heart surrenderd today will be a heart abiding in peace tomorrow. Don’t give yourself another reason to think you have to feel guilt and shame.
A victim is someone powerless to change the circumstances and isn’t given choices. You have the power to change and make your own choices. You have been given the free will to choose. Find your denial and do away with it. If you need to deny something, deny the lie that you are a victim, because you never were.
Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
2 Peter 1:3
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, you care for us in so many ways. You’re yoke is light. You require our love and obedience, and you even give us the power of your Spirit to do that. You came down here to love, serve, and save. You showed us by your example what it is to obey and come under your authority. You give us the Truth of your Living Word. You have even overcome the world for us. You made a way for us to come to the throne room and commune with you in prayer. Your Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we can’t think of the words. We have everything we need to live a life of godliness. Help us to step out in courage, faith, and victory. Thank you for always intending to be there with us and for us. May we serve you by surrendering our all. May we live up to something better for ourselves and for others in the giving of ourselves to you. We want to please you, Lord. You are our everything. We were never victims; we were always meant to be yours all along. Thank you for so many blessings. Thank you for your grace and the power to push aside the enemy. We ask that, by your wisdom and power, we can continue to run this race, to fight the good fight, persevering till the end. May we bring you glory in all that we do, and all that we do may it be in service to you.
In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!
Becoming His 
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