Faith In The City

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (NIV) When I opened this verse today, I already knew where it was headed and joy rose up in me before I even finished reading it. This is one of those Scriptures that doesn’t just speak to you; it speaks for you. It reminds you of something your spirit already knows: the victory is already won! That means whatever battle we walk into, emotional, spiritual, relational, mental, we enter it from a place of strength, not fear. We enter empowered, encouraged, confident, and joyful because God has already fought and won the fight on our behalf. If the victory is settled, what exactly are we afraid of? As I continued reading the devotional, I appreciated the reminder that this verse doesn’t promise everything will go our way. We will still face trouble, heartache, overwhelm, and spiritual resistance. Even victories come with their own crises. But the presence of trouble doesn’t mean the absence of God. It means the battle is real but so is our advantage. The enemy will always try to steal, kill, destroy, distract, divide, confuse, and discourage. But he cannot take what we do not give. Jesus taught that if someone takes your shirt, offer your jacket (or vice versa). Joel Osteen often says, “They can take the parking spot, but they can’t take my joy.” That’s the posture I’m choosing. Lately, when trouble comes, my responses have been simple: “Everything happens for a reason.” “God is in control.” “I’m turning this over to You, God.” Then I smile, inside first, then outward, and move forward. Because once I hand it to God, it’s no longer my burden. I want to stay in joy. I want to stay in peace. And I’m not giving either one away. The devotional title today was “Someone Greater.” It reminded me that there is a physical and spiritual battle happening around us, but I am not fighting alone. The Holy Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit fights for me. The fact that Heaven considers me worth fighting for humbles me deeply. Our real enemy is not each other. It’s not people. It’s not inconvenience. It’s not emotions. It’s not circumstances. Our real enemy is the kingdom of darkness. And the kingdom of darkness cannot prevail against the God who lives within us. So today, I’m choosing gratitude. I’m choosing confidence. I’m choosing joy. I’m choosing to live from victory, not toward it. Because the One who lives in me is greater than anything in this world.