For most coaches and athletes, watching game film is an important part of the process. You go back and look at what went right, what went wrong, and what you need to do differently moving forward.
I coached high school girls basketball in Texas for many years, and after almost every game I would load up the VCR—yes, the VCR, so that tells you how long ago this was—and watch the entire game all over again.
Even though I already knew what had happened, I could still feel the frustration of the missed shots, the bad decisions, the turnovers, and of course, what I thought were a few bad calls by the officials.
And if it had been a close game, I could even feel some of that tension all over again.
But there was one big difference.
I already knew how the game ended.
When I knew we had won, I watched everything that happened along the way from a completely different perspective. That missed shot in the first quarter didn’t seem quite as devastating. The turnover didn’t feel quite as costly.
Even when the other team went on a run, I knew it wasn’t the end of the story.
I knew the final score.
I think sometimes we need that same reminder in our walk with Christ.
We can become so focused on what is happening right now—the disappointment, the uncertainty, the battle, the thing that doesn’t make sense—that we forget something incredibly important: We are not fighting for victory. We are fighting from victory.
Jesus has already won the ultimate battle.
That doesn’t mean we won’t experience trouble. It doesn’t mean every circumstance will turn out exactly the way we want.
And it certainly doesn’t mean there won’t be hard seasons along the way.
But it does mean that our current circumstances do not determine the final outcome.
Jesus does.
We see a picture of this in Joshua 6. Before Joshua and the Israelites ever marched around the walls of Jericho, God told Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” — Joshua 6:2 I love that.
The walls were still standing. The battle hadn’t even begun. Joshua couldn’t yet see the victory with his own eyes.
But God had already declared it.
Then God gave Joshua a battle plan that probably didn’t make much sense from a human perspective. March around the city. Blow trumpets.
Shout.
Those aren’t exactly normal military tactics.
But Joshua didn’t have to understand everything God was doing. He simply had to trust the One who had already promised the victory.
And sometimes, that’s where we find ourselves.
We want God to explain the plan.
We want to know how He’s going to fix it.
We want to know when the answer is coming.
We want to see the walls fall before we’re willing to trust Him.
But faith says, “God, I may not understand what You’re doing, and I may not be able to see the outcome yet, but I know who You are.”
So what does it look like to fight from victory?
1. Listen to what God is telling you to do.
Stay close enough to Him that His voice is louder than the fear, noise, and opinions around you. Be rooted and grounded in His Word.
2. Be willing to obey even when you don’t understand.
You don’t have to understand the entire plan to take the next step God is asking you to take.
3. Strengthen your faith by remembering who wins.
Your confidence isn’t in your circumstances. It isn’t in your ability to figure everything out. Your confidence is in Jesus.
Maybe today you’re staring at some walls that haven’t fallen yet.
Maybe you’re in the middle of something that doesn’t make sense.
Maybe all you can see right now is the missed shot, the setback, the disappointment, or the unanswered prayer.
Don’t mistake the middle of the story for the ending.
The battle may still be happening, but the ultimate victory has already been won.
Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33 So keep trusting. Keep obeying. Keep moving forward.
You don’t have to fight wondering whether Jesus will win.
You get to live knowing He already has.
Melissa Motes
