Followers of Jesus Christ, Declare the Victory

When a believer abides in Christ—abiding in His Word, in His love, and in prayer—and Christ abides in him, he is led by the Holy Spirit, walks by faith and not by sight, and bears much fruit (Jn. 15:4–5). Walking in the Spirit is critical because we must pray according to God’s will in all matters, and the Holy Spirit leads us into such prayer. It is the leading of the Holy Spirit in prayer that ensures we are asking according to God’s will.

Such a believer, by declaring the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross—which is the declaration of Christ’s victory—is able to see the kingdom of God come and His will be done in every area of life. As he led by the Spirit declares, in faith, the fitting Word of God into each situation in the name of Jesus, he bears much fruit.

Believers have been given authority in Christ (Lk. 10:19; Matt. 28:18–20). They have the glorious privilege of declaring, in faith, the victory of Christ into every situation in life. This declaration is a way of telling the opposing forces of darkness that they must bow to the name of Jesus, who disarmed and defeated them on the cross (Col. 2:15).

To declare Christ’s victory is to command evil to flee, to require it to submit to the verdict of the cross, and to summon it to again hear Christ’s cry: “It is finished!”—because the full payment has been made. A believer who abides in Christ can powerfully exercise his authority in Christ and apply the verdict of the cross to life’s circumstances.

For example, if a believer who is sick is led by the Holy Spirit to declare, “By the stripes of Christ I am healed,” he is proclaiming to the sickness the victory of the cross—by which all iniquity is forgiven, every disease is healed, and his life is redeemed from the pit (Ps. 103:2–4; Matt.8:17; Isa. 53:4–5; Col. 2:13–14; 1 Pet. 2:24)—in Jesus’ name. Thus, declaring God’s Word into a situation in faith is calling for the victory of Christ to be made effective in that situation.

Therefore, a believer who abides in Christ, walks in His authority, and submits to the leading of the Holy Spirit ought to declare God’s Word in faith, followed by thanksgiving—even before he sees the manifestation of victory in the physical—because he trusts in God and His unfailing Word.

Spirit-led believers are to confidently declare the victory of Christ through the fitting Word of God for each situation and then rejoice and thank God for the answer (Mk. 11:22–25), for God’s Word never fails.

In conclusion, the declaration of God’s Word in faith, made by a believer who abides in Christ and His Word, is led by the Holy Spirit, and walks in the authority of Christ, is nothing less than the declaration of Christ’s finished work on the cross. It is the proclamation of Christ’s victory, and it is the establishment of God’s kingdom in that situation—in Jesus’ name. And it is effective.