
The Cross
Victory Through the Cross
Sunday, July 6th, 2025
Welcome:
Call to Worship:
Let us bring our hearts and minds into the presence of God. Let us be reminded of why we gather in worship of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Let us come humbled before Him, with hearts adoring Him and mouths who praise Him. For He is worthy. We gather because we are created to worship our Creator. We gather, to be reminded of His greatness, goodness, and faithfulness. We gather, to be in fellowship with the Body and to be strengthened in our faith. So come and be present this morning. Let your whole self and spirit join in worship of our Lord.
Let us remember what His attitude was when He came down from heaven to this earth in the form of man. Let us emulate His attitude today and every day.
Philippians 2: 5-11 NASB 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Psalm 103:1-5 1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Let’s pray and lift up praise. Praise Songs.
As we finish our series of living Kingdom Minded, let us close out focusing on the truth that is the sole basis for why Jesus willingly became our sacrifice- VICTORY over the enemy, over all evil and death! It is the cross that is the Sole Basis for Satan’s Defeat!
This truth must be central in our belief and what guides our actions to live kingdom minded; and to live focused on God’s purposes.
This is unchanging and there is nothing Satan can do about his defeat. This stands for all eternity. He can’t change the truth and the outcome that he is in fact defeated, but you can better believe he will do all he can to hide this truth that we-the church also stand victorious with Christ. He will do all he can to have us living defeated, in fear, without hope, and filled with anxiety regarding our circumstances and our future. When we live like this, we are not living kingdom minded. We are focused on self and all that isn’t going right for us, or very focused on world and all that isn’t going right in it. Both are living with a temporal focus.
How many of you know this world is our temporary home and this earth is temporary? We will not remain on this earth in these earthly bodies forever-there will come a day this life in the physical will end and this earth as God has created it will come to an end. When that is we don’t know; that is for God to know.
As we wait-like we discussed last week, we are to take care of our earth and one another absolutely, and we are to fix our thoughts on the eternal things-for that is where our victory in Christ is!
Satan is doing all he can in the time he is given to steal our joy, rob us of hope, and have us living defeated lives. Look at the generational cycles that continue on these same paths-until someone discovers the victory they have in Christ and that person says NO MORE! The cycle stops here.
Listen when this life gets to be too much or you are listening to the lies of the enemy, I want to remind you where to look to remember what is YOUR truth. The cross says our truth is one of victory! Over every scheme, every trial, every setback, and we are not to waste our time worrying about our tomorrows because our God has us and is working all things for the good for those who love Him.
How many of you need to hear this today?
We must choose to live in the truth of the cross by faith in Christ. This is a choice we make in faith. Because when we choose to live in this truth, that commitment and choice in our heart then guides our actions to follow that commitment. Let’s look to God’s Word this morning and see what our truth is and how the cross positions us for victory.
Colossians 2: 6-15 NIV 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
And all God’s people say, Amen!
To live in this victory there are some truths we must understand.
- Satan is Defeated Through the Cross.
We must humble ourselves and know we cannot resist the enemy on any other basis, certainly not our own wits or strength, other than Jesus’ victory over him through the cross. This is the only way we are positioned to resist him. This is where humility comes in because the truth is-if we try to challenge satan any other way, we will be defeated. You and I are not stronger or smarter or craftier than satan. We’re just not. Don’t be so foolish to think you can outsmart him or resist his schemes. You can’t, and you won’t. At the beginning of this series we talked about gaining wisdom that comes from the Lord. This is the foundation to learning to live Kingdom Minded. So use wisdom from the Lord and KNOW we must humble ourselves and draw from the power of the cross to defeat the enemy and through the cross we will be victorious every time. We must also know that the enemy is real and he isn’t playing. We don’t have to be afraid, but we do have to be wise and know how to defeat him.
He knows our weaknesses just as God does and you can bet he will be coming at you in every way possible in your weakest areas to expose them and break you. Remember Paul talking about having a thorn in his flesh-also called a messenger of satan. Paul had to draw from the power of the cross. It is foolishness and arrogance to think you can outsmart or outwill the enemy. He will take great pleasure in proving you wrong.
We need Jesus; this is why He came to give us certain victory.
Colossians 2:14 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
This is what Jesus did for us on the cross- He took the charges against us-for our sin; the debt we owed for that sin and He canceled it completely. He wiped away the debt and all the charges were cleared because He nailed them to the cross. Jesus nailed them to the cross-not you, not me. We receive this gift of victory by faith in Jesus.
Jesus told a parable to explain how He defeated satan once for all:
Mark 3:27 NLT 27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
Satan was the strong man who was overly confident in his strength and power. He took all that he could from those around him and under his influence-for his purpose is to seek, kill and destroy. Jesus is the One who is even stronger. He bound up satan and took away any hopes of victory he had by removing the debt humanity owed our Holy God. Jesus set the captives free! He took away Satan’s weapons he uses over us.
The truth is-it took One even stronger than Satan. The only one stronger is Jesus Himself who is God. It’s not you or me or anyone in humanity.
We must come against the enemy the way Jesus did-through the cross. This is where he was defeated and this is how we also defeat him when he comes prowling about. We place the cross and its power between us and the enemy and we stand in the power of Christ’s blood shed for us and by the faith we have in Jesus and his defeat over the enemy. We proclaim he has no power over us because the cross has set us free from his grasp. We tell him to flee. And at the name of Jesus, the enemy must flee.
We learn how to prepare ourselves for battle with the enemy in Ephesians:
Ephesians 6:12 NIV 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
We want to fight with other people because we can see each other-but we must remember when someone is attacking us- family, friend, co-workers, whomever… our true battle and struggle is not with that person, but with the spiritual forces at work manifesting through that person. Looking for our weak spots to trigger a reaction, to hurt or break us. So don’t fight with people or let their words cut deep into your heart-come back to this truth and fight your battle from the victory you have through the cross. The way we as Christians fight is through prayer and proclaiming the power of the cross.
Ephesians 6: 13-16 NIV 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Learn this, memorize this, and practice this heart stance daily. So you might stand firm and keep standing. Through the cross you have all the power you need to keep standing. We take up our shield of faith and we extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one sent our way- we stand in victory!
- The Cross Eradicates Guilt.
Did you know Satan’s greatest weapon used against humanity is guilt?
Jesus has victory over guilt- through the cross.
Are you holding on to guilt for something? Have you given it to God and asked forgiveness for it? Then why hold on to guilt? Jesus nailed your guilt to the cross-leave it there so you can live in His victory. Guilt only keeps you in shackles. Satan is the great accuser who comes before God and shines a light on all our sins and says, “have you seen what this one did?!”
Let us know and remember the true nature of the enemy when he comes to taunt us:
Revelation 12:10 NIV 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
He is known as the Accuser. satan wants us to focus on those shortcomings we all have, thus creating guilt in us-as we obsess over all the ways we don’t measure up.
But what do we read? Now have come the salvation (we are saved and rescued from the pit of hell) and the power, and the kingdom of God, and the authority of Jesus-our Messiah! Now have come this power through the cross and the accuser has been hurled down! Defeated once and for all!
We have an advocate and Savior in Jesus who defends us before our holy God. He says, “but I took their punishment and I gave them my righteousness. My blood cleansed their sin away and now they stand pure, justified before you, My Father. The debt of their sin has been paid.”
Through the cross were forgiven and The slate wiped clean! The cross eradicates any guilt we have over past sin. This is our truth-receive this truth. Walk in this truth.
So his tactics of holding guilt over you-have no more power, for Jesus took care of that and atoned for our guilt. Do you know this and live in this truth?
Colossians 2:13 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
Understand this: Through the Holy Spirit we will experience conviction-that is very different than guilt. Guilt is vague and wide sweeping over our shortcomings or wrong doings, it doesn’t seek resolution and there is no hope. Conviction is specific pinpointing a weakness or shortcoming, bringing us to repentance and pointing the way to a path to overcome. Conviction is always wrapped in hope.
Acquitted and Set Free!
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
This is our truth! This is what God says is our truth because of His Son. It doesn’t matter what the enemy tries to throw at us, he has been hurled down and defeated once and for all!
So how do we live in this victory? Freely we come before God and freely we confess when we fall short. It is God who says because of what My Son has done come with confidence before the throne of grace and share your heart with me. I will freely forgive your repentant heart.
1 John 1:9 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
This is how we live in victory-by freely confessing and receiving His forgiveness for our confessed sin, which purifies us. Then we make way for His grace that is sufficient to move in our lives and bring the victory He promises.
Revelation 12:11 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
We must speak out the testimony we have in Christ. That is our part in living in His victory.
We triumph over the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and our testimony of His grace and power at work in our lives!
We must remember where our power comes from and where the enemy was defeated-through the cross! We have everything we need to remain in victory when we face our battles through the cross. In fact, we are already victorious from this stance. Living Kingdom minded is choosing to stand in this truth and proclaim it over the schemes of the enemy.
Conclusion: Through the cross, we have everything we need to overcome every battle. Let us take our positions in His Kingdom as a people who live victoriously and show others how to do the same through the cross. Jesus’ victory is our victory!
Let’s pray:
Communion:
What a beautiful remembrance we share in as the Body; our Savior’s body given and His blood shed on the cross that before symbolized shame, condemnation, defeat, and humiliation at the highest level. As our God does, he takes what the enemy means for evil and He turns it for good. He takes the ashes and rubble of this dark world, and brings beauty as only He can do. Only our God can turn something so horrific into something so wonderfully glorious and full of hope. No longer do we look at the cross as symbol of shame and defeat-we see it as our symbol of victory and hope because of our Savior gave His life that was spotless and shed His blood that pure and let it run over all the sins of this world. This is a love that is hard to comprehend-before we ever accepted Him or believed in Him- while we were still rebels in our hearts running away from God- Jesus laid His life down, for the joy set before Him. He saw the victory! He saw death was defeated and sin had no more power over us. He saw our freedom through His righteousness. He saw each of us standing justified before the Father as He looked upon us, our sins washed away by the blood of the Lamb. He saw us restored and sharing in relationship for all eternity.
O Lord what a Savior You are! You knew we would all need saving and rescuing from the clutches of the enemy and You came down to become that Way. Thank You Lord!
Offer your hearts to the Lord today-don’t wait. Admit you need a Savior and receive His rescue. Sinner’s Prayer.
Share in communion: Mark 26 6 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”