On February 24, 1836, a fort in Texas called the Alamo came under threat by the Mexican Army. A letter was written by William B. Travis and addressed to the people of Texas and all Americans in the world. It was a passionate plea for help, and ended with the words, “Victory or Death”- the only possible outcome. The battle of the Alamo ended in a defeat felt all over Texas and the world, because the Alamo was defended by people from many different countries.
“Words from Above” in the Bible tell us that “victory or death” is a very real choice related to the destiny of the human soul. The human soul came under siege when the devil appeared in the Garden of Eden to deceive Adam and Eve. He attacked the authority of what God had told them, and he thus succeeded in bringing spiritual death to them. God had warned them that if they ate or touched the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden they would die. They failed to heed that warning, and thereby sin entered the world.
The apostle Paul speaks about the matter of “victory or death” in his letter to the Corinthians, as he spoke about what he called a mystery. He said that whether we are alive or dead at the time of the return of Jesus, we shall all be changed. This change shall occur “in the twinkling of an eye and at the sounding of a final trumpet.” He says that our corruptible body will become incorrupt and our mortal body will become immortal, and this will signal the saying, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”. Paul then raises two related questions: “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” His point is that death will lose its sting and its victory, and victory will belong to those who put their faith in Jesus.
The Bible tell us that it is through the death of Jesus on the cross that believers have spiritual victory over the spiritual death that the devil brought into the world. God had predicted to the devil in the Garden of Eden that one day a seed of the woman Eve would crush the head of the serpent, thus punishing the serpent, whose form the devil had assumed when he appeared to Eve. That seed of the woman was Jesus, God’s Son, whom God sent into the world so that humanity would not need to perish but that it could have eternal life. It all happened because of God’s love for His human creation. So, let’s put our faith in Jesus.
Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville. Everyone is welcome to attend. For informa-tion, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.
