The Flag of Victory or Defeat?

You know growing up in the Assemblies of God denomination I've always heard the term "Victorious". And honestly I've always struggled with that because If you've ever dealt with depression as a believer it is hard to seem victorious. I've always associated being "victorious" as having no problems, having a smile, being holy spirit filled, life perfect. And when, as a teen I battled depression a lot because of circumstances and things that took place. I always had a pastor or pastors telling me you need to be victorious, like it was an emotion you turn on and off. It really bothered me when people tried to tell me how to be or how to act. I read the bible all the time so I knew that being depressed was frowned upon because, if you were, you were looked at as not really saved to some. Not that the bible says not to be depressed because if we really read we see all the great men and women of God battled with it much of the time. Whether it would be david, crying out to God to save him from Saul, or Moses who doubted that he could be used of God, or even Paul who was left on an island all by himself. I'm sure he desired companionship with others and dealt with depression. He obviously rose out of it, but when it comes down to it he became victorious because he learned from his circumstances and situations. I guess others were trying to tell me its a choice and I committed the sin plenty of times of self-pity because no one had taught me different. I knew what I knew and I didn't know different. You live what you only know. But you can be taught differently with time and to train your mind with God's help to think and act differently. In any case your wondering where I'm going with this here it is. A few days ago I was reading a devotional that really hit me and taught me a new way of thinking that I had yet knew before. The title of it was What Flag am I waving today? Here's just a few thoughts to what was said that I had wrote down in my prayer journal on the topic of victory.

True victory is strength in God. It is a genuine strength in God. I should endure hardship by drawing down from his strength.

A person living in absolute victory says: I'm at a very bad place in my life right now, but I've been on my knees. I'm walking with God and experiencing his strength. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I love the Lord. He has become very real and precious to me."

When you live by faith through a time of suffering, you display the reality of God in your life. You proclaim the absolute superiority of the life lived in God- even in trials-by contrasting how people who don't know the Lord go through the same trials.

The difference is the type of victory you experience. I call that "raising the flag" in Jesus' name. When you live by faith, you wave that flag and show others the difference trusting him can make.

So am I embracing the trial as allowed by a loving God for a good purpose? At the time during the trial you wonder is this really for a good purpose, or is to torture me? That's what I was thinking, but no really I had to be thinking that way and I wasn't. But its okay to think like that too.

Don't miss your opportunity to spread the fame of his name. To raise the flag of victory!

So yeah, I go through things but in Christ he gave me victory that even through the trial I may not feel victorious but its a faith that is unseen and a supernatural strength in the Lord that really is true victory.

So having victory is not life being perfect or good, but realizing that through those trials I need to draw down my strength from God. Its through those things that we really learn to trust God for victory. Realizing he is looking out for my best, even though it may not seem like it at the time really he is. So I'm sure I'll have days where I may not seem "victorious" but I know that through it all its for a better purpose than what I can see for sure.

Let's wave the Flag of victory that overall the Lord rose again from death and it had no hold on him. Draw down your strength and he will you strength to rise up and be victorious.

Thanks guys for reading. He is all we truly need emotionally, mentally, spiritually.