2 Samuel 23:10 But Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.
“You just can’t beat the person who WON’T give up” – Babe Ruth
You and I cannot be defeated if we refuse to give up. Both heroes of faith as well as heroes of history are celebrated as champions because they refuse to quit the fight. There are 37 violent soldiers listed as “David’s Mighty Men”. Each one is commended for the unique resilience to fight until they brought victory to their nation. One of the mighty men, Eleazar, fought the enemies all by himself until the sword stuck to his hand! The troops with him fled but Eleazar refused to quit.
“Don’t judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again” – Nelson Mandela.
“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing” – Barry Finlay.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” – Mahatma Gandhi.
The perfect epitome of a winner was Jesus. He fought humans and demons on the cross. He fought malign, mastication, meanness, mistreatment and massacre all alone yet he refused to give up. We have victory over all our battles only because Jesus refused to quit. The cross was the door through which we walk into victory as Jesus refused to give up. Since Jesus already won dissension, depression and disease on the cross, we have victory over the addiction, animosity and the physical and emotional ailments. The cross is our sword and we don’t fight for victory but from victory.
Don’t give up, we fight from victory:
1. Threat: Jesus was not intimidated as He was anchored on the truth that nothing can touch Him until it is authorized by His Father in Heaven. Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above (John 19:11). When we are rooted in the truth that no human authority or diabolical verdict can cross our boundaries, the threats, forecasts or predictions cannot and will not shake our faith.
2. Torture: Jesus endured the torture, humiliation, disappointment without being discouraged as He had his eyes on the promised end. When we go through darkness and uncertainty, our eyes must only be on the promises of God. The end is in the written code, the Bible. Never say I cannot go through this one more day. Those who go through will get through to the glorious end.
3. Tenacity: The same Holy Spirit who gave Jesus the tenacity to go through the cross is in us. Ask the Holy Spirit for strength to keep pressing on and to never give up. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered (Matthew 24:13). You are one day closer to your victory.
“You just can’t beat the person who WON’T give up”. So, don’t give up.
Hebrews 12:2 For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, make me spiritually tough inside out and never quit until I see the victory. Amen
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