The Victory Is Ours!

In order to have victory over anything in this life, you have to name it, claim it, and live it. This is what I have learned this week concerning my smoking. I can either feel sorry for myself because I am not getting healed immediately, or I can claim my own victory and work at it each day with God by my side to give me the strength to keep going and not give up.
To name your victory is to state what you want to have victory over. This needs to be confessed to God and to other believers who can hold you accountable.
To claim your victory means operating as if you already possess that victory.
You have to speak it out loud each day that whatever you need victory over is taken care of for you by God and speak that you are healed through Jesus.
Lastly, to live your victory means that there is no turning back! Once you make a decision to no longer live in the darkness , you can't just speak it. You have to live it every day. Each day is a new day in the journey of your victory. You have to surrender your flesh to God each day and let Him do the rest. There is no need to give up should you stumble. All you have to do is repent for your weakness and promise God that you will keep trying until the victory is yours.
These are vital actions that must be taken for anyone to have any kind of victory. It can be as simple as making an effort to get up 5 minutes earlier each day or as intense as conquering an addiction.
Most importantly you have to take authority over the enemy. The enemy has no power over you unless you give it to him. When you speak to him in Jesus' name, he must leave! This power was given to us when Jesus died on the cross so that we may become righteous in the eyes of God.
Victory is yours, but you must decide to take it and run with it. Otherwise, you will never have the victory that you desire. Let us thank God every day that
he sent his only son to die for us so that we may have this awesome power to overcome!