Victory

His name Charles E. Boles; during his reign of terror between 1875 and 1883, he is credited with stealing the bags and the breath from 29 different stagecoach crews. He did it all without firing a shot. No victim ever saw his face; no artist ever sketched his features. He hid his face with a hood. No sheriff could ever track his trail. He never fired a shot or took a hostage. His presence was enough to paralyze. A hooded bandit armed with a deadly weapon; his name "Black Bart." When Black Bart was finally tracked down, they didn't find a bloodthirsty bandit; they found a mild- mannered druggist from Decatur, Illinois. In reality, so afraid of horses he rode to and from his robberies in a buggy. The bandit who never once fired a shot, because he never once loaded his gun!

Amazing, that a man could so terrorize his victims, and at any given time all they had to do would be resist him and what would he have done? Nothing, for he was working on fear. He would ambush and take away the courage of his victims to the point of trauma and they would freeze where they were. You know what that reminds me of? Our enemy! The Bible tells us about him in John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
we allow him to ambush us and terrorize us to the point we lose courage. But let me remind you of a promise that has been given to us.

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

1John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

So when our Black Bart tries to Steal, Kill and Destroy he can only do so if we allow him. For his gun is not even loaded. The Lord Jesus has already won the Victory! So remember we are not fighting toward Victory we are fighting from Victory.