1Cor. 15:57 and to God — thanks, to Him who is giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ;
There is something important that I want you to notice in this verse. It is so important that it can change the way you live your life and face temptation on a daily basis. The new American Standard version says it like this, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The best translation is the one I put at the top of the page which is from the Young’s Literal translation. I like it the best because it best expresses what the Holy Spirit is trying to say here. It uses the phrase “is giving us the victory.” You see, it’s important to understand that the Holy Spirit is not saying that He “shall” or “will” give you the victory if you ask for it, or that by faith you are trying to bring victory into your situation of temptation. Instead it says that God’s means of victory, which is the person Jesus Christ, is being victorious in you right now. All you have to do is claim that and rest in it. As you by faith rejoice in His victorious reality in you at this very moment, then that victory will become your conscious experience. As believers we are not trying to get to victory; instead we are living in victory right now, and the real battle is the enemy trying to pull you out of that truth, deceiving you into thinking that you’re having to fight for something that you already have.