Financial security does not give us a victorious life, there is more to it than just money. It is also good health, love, joy, peace of mind, successful children, good friends and a good family relationship. Does this sound like a dream? It’s more than a dream, it’s the truth and we can have it.

Ephesians 2:5-6 says that even when we were dead in trespasses (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved) and raised us together and made us sit in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. If we are sitting in the heavenly places, then we should live a victorious life.

Most of us are not living victoriously in all areas of our lives because the devil roams like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, but that renders Ephesians 2:5-6 ineffective. No, it doesn’t because God’s word is true. Therefore, it must be something that we have not done or believed.

Maybe it’s time we checked ourselves to see where there is a gap that allows the enemy to lay waste to our lives. Where do we start this self-assessment? It starts with our belief. Do we really believe in the word of God or do we just say it because it is the right thing to do? God looks at the heart of man. We can make our mouth say anything but not the heart. The truth is in our hearts, whether we believe it or not, and this is where God’s eyes wander. We really must believe that all of God’s word is true. It is not about what we think, it is about what He said and there is no exception.

We must walk in love, the kind that God has because he loves unconditionally. Do we only love those who love us and hate those who have hurt us? If we put limits on our love, then we are not walking in God’s love. The line, hate, unforgiveness and bitterness are against us all the time. We will not receive God’s favor if these things are on our hearts, but we will be giving the Devil an opportunity to stop us from living a victorious life. Love covers a multitude of sins. The word said that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He did it because he loves us despite our sins. The word of God also says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but the blood of Jesus cleansed us from all unrighteousness and made us the righteousness of God through Him, so that we can live a victorious life in Him.

Are we doers of the word and not just hearers? We can listen to God’s word all day long, but unless we do what it says, it will have no effect on us. The devil doesn’t want us to listen to God’s word, he just doesn’t want us to be doers of it. He knows that when we start to do the word it is cooked. He doesn’t want to control us so he can’t stop us from living a victorious life. When we do what God said we become unstoppable because the whole host of Heaven is behind us, and not only that, it pleases the Lord when we do what He said and He will reward us abundantly.

Is there any fear in us? Christians must be courageous in the Lord. Fear is not of God because it quenches faith and without faith it is impossible to please God. He can only move where there is faith, so if there is fear in us then there can be no victorious life because God cannot work for us in fear. Satan is still in this world and is causing destruction that we can see daily, but should not be moved by. What we see should not make us walk in fear because we are redeemed. He will not come near us because no weapon formed against us will prosper (unless we are afraid).

Are we humble under the mighty hand of God? Humility is quickly casting or throwing all our worries onto the Lord. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your anxiety on him, because he cares for us. Everything that concerns us we must cast on the Lord. He is more capable of solving it than we are and if we try to solve it without Him, then we are being proud and he hates it. There is no victorious life in pride. Some people think that humility is walking with your head down, but you can still have a swollen heart even when your head is hanging down and this is pride of the heart.

Psalm 149:4 says because the Lord takes pleasure in His People, He will beautify the humble with salvation. The definition of salvation is liberation, making safe, free, freedom, prosperity, rescue and defense, to me this sounds like a victorious life.

Are we caught up in the worries of the world? Jesus said in Mark 4:19 that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires of other things will choke the word and it will be unfruitful. So if we value or exalt anything above the Lord and his word, we would be unsuccessful, there can be no victorious life for us if we are unsuccessful. He said that you will have no other god before me.

Now that we’ve done a self-assessment, where are we? Can we now see why we may not be living a victorious life? We can change our way of living. The Lord will forgive us because it is his will that we be prosperous and in good health just as our souls prosper. It is his will for us that we have all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is his will to supply all our needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. It is his will that we sit together with Jesus in the Heavenly place and there is no lack where Jesus is sitting.