1. Those in trouble.
2. Those just coming out of trouble.
3. Those about to go into trouble.

It’s important to know this or you can lose the battle by giving yourself over to your troubles through disbelief and doubts, discouragement and disappointment, or despair and depression. When we give ourselves over to our troubles, then defeat is knocking on the door of our hearts!

We need to remember Jesus’ promise so that we don’t let one of these diabolical D’s lodge in our hearts!

Jesus told us this ahead of time so we wouldn’t be surprised. Jesus say in John 14:29-30, “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me”

Jesus was not surprised by the trouble of His life, nor should we! In fact, it was in how Jesus faced His troubles that we can find the promise of victory coming alive in your life.

That leads us to the second point I want to highlight: TAKE COURAGE!

Courage is not an absence of fear in a person’s life; it is the willingness to act in the face of it! We can take courage as we face tribulations and trials of all sorts because we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus!

Listen to Paul teach us this in Romans 8:26-39:

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can take courage because the God of victory is with us and nothing can separate us from His power in our lives: GOD IS WITH YOU!

This truth is a game changer! It’s like me getting in a fist fight with Mike Tyson. There is no fight; I’m just knocked out. With God on your side, there is nothing that can prevail against you.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

“My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

This is what Paul was talking about in Philippians 4:6-9:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Living a victorious life is about living in agreement with the Victory of Jesus Christ! It does not mean that we will get all that we want, nor does it mean life will be easy. It means we will have God with us—PEACE! And  His peace changes everything—us, how we handle our situations, and what we give to other people.

That leads us to our application: PASS THE PEACE! Paul says we are to put these things into practice. Be a witness of God’s victory by how you handle your situations—what are you passing on to others?

In 2 Peter 1:1-11, Peter teaches us that we can never forget everything Jesus has done for us and what He has given us through faith:

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

Peter says the same things as Paul: practice these things! A victorious life is a life that passes the peace of God to other people.

A quick review:

• Don’t be surprised by trouble.
• Take courage.
• God is with you.
• Pass the Peace!