291. The Joy of Victory in the Time of Temptation

“Count it all joy, my brethren, when you come into various trials.” James 1:2.

James testifies here about an overcoming life: a life of triumph in all our various trials.

When have we heard of such a joy during trials? If you pay attention to the testimonies among the people of God, you will hear a continuous whining and complaining about defeat and failure in various trials. All their trials are almost a curse because the defeats become so many. And in order not to have a bad conscience, they must pray for forgiveness for it all. But was this what James meant when he says that we are to rejoice in our trials? No, far from it. He means that we are to overcome in our trials. And when there are many trials, there will be many victories, and the result will be unending joy.

A person becomes angry and falls. The old Adam becomes extremely angry one day—someone or something has offended him. He forgets all his Christianity, crashing about with words and actions as though Satan himself had been let loose. He is certainly far from being crucified. On the contrary, the old Adam is running around on the earth and is active on all fronts. And now, someone argues with him about his rights, and he becomes extremely angry. It will not be easy for him that evening to preach about an overcoming life (Rev. 3:5) or about having a crucified flesh. Rom. 6:6.

The next day, the old Adam is loose again. The rich tycoon has put a lot of money in the collection, and the preacher bows especially deeply to him and to his wife, while the poor widow with her last mite goes unnoticed. Then the Spirit of truth comes, and the commandment, which says that if we show partiality to people, we become judges with evil thoughts. The temptation was too great, and defeat followed. Again, more prayer for the forgiveness of sins.

The same happens with his vanity and honor-seeking, and all other miserable plagues he suffers under. In every single temptation the old Adam finds a way to express himself, and then there is absolutely no joy in temptation. He (the old Adam) cannot manage to count it all joy, even though he gives himself the honorable old name of “penitent sinner.” Nevertheless, he is and will remain “the old Adam.”

Throughout the centuries, the Scriptures have provided excellent advice for “the old man,” but it is as though people are deaf in that ear. Here is an example:

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Rom. 6:6. [Emphasis added].

This scripture has become so twisted through preaching, writings, and songs that nowadays it sounds more like this:

“Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand.”

Where in the Scriptures is it written that the old man is to keep himself at the foot of the cross? I have never read that.

“The testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:3-4.

Through the various trials, victory will lead us to become perfect and complete. But if we fail in temptation so we commit sin, then we are far from becoming perfect and complete. Neither will we have an overcomer’s joy.

The way has been made through the flesh, and God leads us to our enemies. We find ourselves in manifold trials which give us the opportunity to experience manifold victories, and that gives us manifold joy. For no joy is greater than the joy of victory, which is pure and unadulterated. It brings honor from God and respect from people.

Young people have heard so much of this foggy and unclear “sin and grace” and preaching about “sinning under grace” that they find it impossible to understand such “Christianity.” But everyone can understand a word like this:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Gal. 2:20.

Paul does not say: I live at the foot of the cross; my old man is not crucified.

No, that is not possible. We must get the old man up on the cross if we want to find joy when we enter into various trials.

The leading of our life must not come from our body, for that belongs to the old creation. It is written: “And if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Rom. 8:10. The leading is to come from God’s Spirit, for He will lead us into all truth.

When we first come to Christ, we come as repentant sinners; but if a person continues to be just a repentant sinner for twenty or thirty years, that is hypocrisy. They sin expecting grace, but they will not allow grace to chasten them. Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! Rom. 6:1-2.

When the old man is hung on the cross—by faith—then the penitent sinner, as he calls himself, loses his life.

On the cross with the hypocrite!