Four Principles of Victory

Sermon OverviewScripture Reference: Judges 6:1-22In Judges 6, Israel had forgotten God and the victory He had already given them. As a result, the nation was intimidated and impoverished by an oppressive enemy; the people’s shame was severe and continuous.Our nation suffers shame of its own. We’ve traded authority for relativism, truth for pragmatism. We’ve traded reason for feeling, convictions for opinion. We’ve done away with the fixed standard of right and wrong. Everyone does what is right in his own eyes.But God raised up an unlikely hero, Gideon, to fight for His people. And as our nation begins to fall into the same trap, we must recognize the four principles of victory in Gideon’s life, that we may be used like him.First, there was the principle of vision.Gideon had a vision of the living God. (See Judges 6:11.) Gideon lived in defeat and fear until he took his eyes from the enemy and fixed them on God instead. We have something far better than Gideon had: the Word of God and the Holy Spirit abiding in us. And there is no excuse for us not to have an encounter with the living God.Second, there was the principle of valor.Gideon was a man of valor, not because he felt brave in and of himself. Rather, God took this fearful man and transformed him with His power, enriched him with love, and enlightened him with a sound mind.Third, Gideon had the principle of vigilance.After dismissing those who were afraid to fight, God tested Gideon’s army further to see which soldiers would be careless and who would remain vigilant. (See Judges 7.)We don’t have to be afraid of our adversary, but we do have to watch, pray, and never let our guard down.Finally, Gideon had the principle of vitality.God’s plan is to take ordinary people and do something incredible through them.Adrian Rogers says, “It’s not your scholarship, it’s your relationship. It’s not your ability, it’s your availability. It’s not your fame, it’s your faith. It’s not who you are, it’s whose you are.”Apply it to your lifeHow do we win the victory?Through boldness: The God that was with Gideon is the God that will be with us.By brokenness: God never really uses anything until He first breaks it.With brightness: Our commission as men and women of God is to let our light shine in a sinful, dark world.