One Day at a Time: The Devotional for Overcomers

Christ

Introduction

I am thankful for my physical heritage. Church was a regular experience for me, but somehow during those formative years of my life, I was never confronted with the need to make a decision about my relationship with God. I never really understood the gospel. I was 25 years old before I finally realized who God is and why Jesus came; it would be another 15 years before I finally realized what it meant to be a child of God.

PHYSICALLY ALIVE, SPIRITUALLY DEAD

Genesis 2:7 says, The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Adam was alive in two ways: He was alive physically—his soul was in union with his physical body. But he was also alive spiritually—his soul was in union with God.

In Genesis 2:16,17, The Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’ Adam disobeyed God and he ate of that tree. Did he die physically? No, but he did die spiritually and was instantly separated from God. Physical death would also be a consequence of sin, but that wouldn’t come until years later.

From that time on, everyone who is born into this world is born physically alive but spiritually dead, separated from God. Paul says in Ephesians 2:1, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. During those early and formative years of our lives, we had neither the presence of God nor the knowledge of God’s ways. We had no choice but to learn how to live our lives independently of God.

Too many people have experienced rejection, abandonment or abuse in their early childhood and have learned to believe the lies, I am of no value, I don’t measure up, I am unlovable. Even those of us whose childhoods seemed wholesome often struggle with a poor sense of worth because we are raised in such a competitive society.

Without exception, all the people I have counseled have had an unscriptural belief about themselves and their loving heavenly Father. In order to grow in Christ we must recognize false beliefs from the past, renounce them as lies and reprogram our minds with the truth of God’s Word.

IN CHRIST WE ARE SPIRITUALLY ALIVE!

Jesus came to undo that separation from God. He said in John 10:10, I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly (NASB). In the early years of my Christian experience, I thought eternal life was something I got when I died, but 1 John 5:11,12 says, And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. Every Christian is alive in Christ right now. To be alive means that your soul is in union with God. Throughout the New Testament you will see repeatedly the truth that you are in Christ, or that Christ is in you. It is this spiritual life that gives us our essential identity.

OUR NEW IDENTITY

Colossians 3:10,11 says that we have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

The tendency is to get our identity from the things we do, or we identify ourselves by means of racial, religious, cultural or social distinctions. According to Paul, none of these natural identities apply anymore because our physical heritage, social standing or racial distinctions no longer serve as the basis for our identity. Our new and true identity lies in the fact that we are all children of God and we are now alive and free in Christ.

The practical significance of this essential truth cannot be overstated. A Christian is not simply a person who gains forgiveness, who gets to go to heaven, who receives the Holy Spirit, who puts on a new nature. A Christian, in terms of his deepest identity, is a saint, a child born of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light and a citizen of heaven. Peter writes that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9,10).

LEARNING OUR NEW IDENTITY

Nobody can fix his or her past, but I believe that by the grace of God we can all be free from our pasts. We are no longer just a product of our past. We are primarily a product of the work of Christ on the Cross. But remember, when we were dead in our trespasses and sins we had learned to live our lives independently of God. Our identity and perception of ourselves were formed and programmed into our minds through the natural order of this world. That’s why Paul says in Romans 12:2, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Renewing our minds does not come naturally; there is no automatic clear button that erases past programming. We have to consciously know the Word of God so that we can understand who we are from God’s perspective. And who are we? First John 3:1-3 says,

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

WHO WE ARE DETERMINES WHAT WE DO

The most important belief we can possess is a true knowledge of who God is. The second most important belief is to know who we are as children of God. People cannot consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with how they perceive themselves. If we do not see ourselves as God sees us, then to that degree we suffer from a false identity and a poor understanding of who we really are.

It is not what we do that determines who we are. It is who we are that determines what we do as illustrated by a letter I received from a missionary.

I am writing in response to reading Victory over the Darkness. I am sure you have received many letters, at least I hope you have, because that means people like me have had their eyes opened to God’s truth.

I am a missionary, and even though I have been a Christian for 21 years, I never understood God’s forgiveness and my spiritual inheritance. I have been bulimic since 1977. I was in Bible college at the time I began this horrible practice. I never thought this living hell would end. I have wanted to die, and I would have killed myself had I not thought that was a sin. I felt God had turned His back on me and I was doomed to hell because I couldn’t overcome this sin. I hated myself. I felt like a failure.

But the Lord led me to purchase your book and bring it with me. I began reading it last week. I feel like a new Christian, like I have just been born again. My eyes are now open to God’s love. I realize I am a saint who sins, not a sinner. I can finally say I am free of Satan’s bondage and aware now of the lies he has been filling me with. Before I would confess to God, beg His forgiveness when I binged and purged, yet the next time I fell deeper into Satan’s grasp because I couldn’t forgive myself and I couldn’t accept God’s forgiveness. I also thought the answer lay in drawing closer to God, yet I went to Him in fear and confusion, acting as a sinner who couldn’t be loved. No more!

Through the Scriptures and the way you presented them, I am no longer a defeated Christian. I don’t consider myself a bulimic; I consider myself a saint, salt of the earth, Christ’s friend, a slave of righteousness. Food has no power over me. Satan has lost his grip on me.

As troubled people began sharing their stories with me, I noticed that none of them knew who they were in Christ nor understood what it meant to be a child of God. If the Holy Spirit was bearing witness with their spirit (see Rom. 8:16), why weren’t they sensing it? Christians are not sinners in the hands of an angry God! They are saints in the hands of a loving God who has called them to draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22, NASB).

OUR NEEDS ARE MET IN CHRIST

Paul says, "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19, NASB, emphasis added). He is not necessarily addressing our physical needs, but rather our being needs, and they are the ones most wonderfully met in Christ Jesus.

The secular world has identified these needs but is pitifully inadequate to meet them. Trying to pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps and stroking one another’s ego is not going to get it done. What a privilege we have to tell the world how Christ has come to meet our most critical and foundational needs: life, identity, acceptance, security and significance.

It is my prayer that at the conclusion of this devotional you will have entered into the experience that is assured us in Galatians 4:6,7, NASB: And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. In other words, I’m praying that you will experience a bonding relationship with your heavenly Father.

As you read, study and meditate upon God’s Word, be aware that Satan does not want you to know the truth that will set you free. You may actually struggle in your thought life with opposing arguments to the truth of what God has to say about who you are. Let me encourage you to stand against that. If a lie is formed in your mind that is contrary to what the Bible is trying to tell you, then renounce that lie and accept the truth of what God says.

A SIMPLE PLAN TO REALIZE YOUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST

Christians who struggle with addictive behaviors begin to think they are powerless to overcome their sin. That is not true. Every born-again believer is alive in Christ and dead to sin (see Rom. 6:11), and they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them (see Phil. 4:13). These daily devotionals are intended to help renew your mind to the truth of who you are in Christ and to help you realize the freedom He has already purchased for you.

In a few places where it might be confusing as to which of us is speaking, we have added the name of the speaker after I. However, the vast majority of these devotionals are written from Mike’s perspective and experience. He and his wife, Julia, coauthored with me the books Freedom from Addiction and Freedom from Addiction Workbook. Those books and this devotional would be far more effective if you also read my first two books, Victory over the Darkness and The Bondage Breaker. We also make reference a number of times to the Steps to Freedom in Christ. That is a counseling tool that can be purchased from our office or in any Christian bookstore. Many can work through those steps on their own, but others need someone to help them. Don’t be afraid to call for help.

Each devotion ends with some probing questions that we hope you will give some thought to as you interact with the material. At the end is a space for you to journal your thoughts. Consider this space as a time and place to interact with God. Be as honest as you can about your true thoughts and feelings. If you have doubts, share them. If you are having a bad day, tell God about it. He already knows the thoughts and intentions of your heart, so why not be honest with your heavenly Father who loves you and will never leave or forsake you. It is my prayer that the truth of God’s Word will set you free to be all that God wants you to be.

Neil T. Anderson

Section One

THE GOSPEL

MEANS GOOD

NEWS

DAY 1

Thought for Today: The gospel is not a call to do something, but an announcement of what has been done.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

ROMANS 1:16, NASB

Do you want to be free? Have you tried everything within your power to overcome your past and still you can’t rid yourself of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviors? Perhaps you could identify with a lady I once counseled. She was one of the most fearful, confused individuals I have ever known. She lived in constant turmoil. Every circumstance in her life seemed to keep her off balance. After each counseling session she would say, Just tell me what to do! Write out a list of what you want me to do.

Too many Christians believe that living the Christian life is a continuous routine of involvement in well-meaning programs. They believe they could live the victorious Christian life if only they could discipline themselves to read their Bibles, pray more, attend church regularly and fellowship with other believers. Those are good Christian disciplines, but to believe that such personal involvement and effort is the means to fix life’s problems is to get the proverbial cart before the horse. Human effort is not what it takes to live the Christian life or to be free from our past and to overcome addictive behaviors.

Victorious Christian living comes by accepting what Christ has already done for us, understanding who our heavenly Father is and who we are in Christ and then choosing to live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, according to what God says is true. The most well-structured programs cannot set us free, and no amount of human effort can accomplish what Christ has already accomplished for us.

Many of us have been brought up to believe that anything we get out of life we have to work for. The good news is, Christ has already accomplished everything that needs to happen in order for us to be free. For the lady I was counseling, this idea was simply too good to be true. She had tackled every personal problem with sheer determination. Through her own energy, effort and time she had managed to overcome some natural obstacles, but now she had a problem she couldn’t resolve—a husband who was addicted to alcohol, sex and gambling.

There are many natural barriers that can be overcome by hard work and human ingenuity, but we can’t save ourselves and we can’t set ourselves free. The Christian life cannot be lived by our own strength and resources. God in His goodness and His desire for us to learn the truth will bring us to the end of our resources in order that we may discover His.

There is only one Christian life, and that is the life of Christ. What Adam and Eve lost in the Fall was spiritual life. That is what Jesus came to give us—eternal and spiritual life. Jesus is our spiritual life. We are not saved by how we behave; we are saved by what we believe. We live the Christian life by faith, trusting in the finished work of Christ and staying dependent on His presence and resources.

The gospel is not a call to do something. The gospel literally means good news, announcing that what was needed for us to live the victorious Christian life has already been done. Jesus defeated the devil at the cross, forgave our sins and gave us a new life in Him. Consequently, every born-again believer is alive and free in Christ. We just need to believe the good news and live accordingly by faith in God. We are saved by faith (see Eph. 2:8,9) and we also live by faith (see 2 Cor. 5:7).

It’s not that you won’t do good works after you become a Christian; bearing fruit is the natural consequence of being alive and free in Christ. The two biggest errors Christians make are trying to become someone they already are—a child of God (see 1 John 3:1-3), and trying to get something they already have—freedom from sin and death (see Rom. 8:1,2).

There is nothing you can do to save yourself or to set yourself free other than to believe that Christ has already accomplished that for you. When you reach that point of understanding, you have appropriated the good news. If you are a victorious Christian, you did what Jesus said to do in Mark 1:15. You repented of your former way of life and believed the good news that Christ died on the cross for your sins and was resurrected in order that you may have new life in Him.

The disciples asked Jesus, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’ (John 6:28,29).

Probe

Has Christ already set you free (see Gal. 5:1)? Are you depending on what you do to live the Christian life in freedom or on what Christ has done?

Journal

DAY 2

Thought for Today: The gospel transfers you from one kingdom to another.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

COLOSSIANS 1:13, 14

When I visited Russia in 1997, I entered into a totally unfamiliar culture. The people and the way they lived were different from anything I had ever experienced. The language, the customs, the religious services, the food, the lodging and the transportation system were all different. Although the people in the church were friendly and responsive, and many of them wanted to communicate with us, we couldn’t understand a word they said without a translator.

Even the laws were different. In America we can travel freely around the country. Not in Russia. In the Goldie Hawn movie, The Girl from Petrovka, a Russian girl in Moscow didn’t have the correct papers that permitted her to be there. She was sentenced to five years in prison for her crime. When I was a visitor in Russia, I was subject to the laws of that country—I was in a different kingdom from the one I had left.

When you became a Christian, you were transferred from one kingdom to another. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves (Col. 1:13). For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20, NASB). While it is true that we have to obey the laws of this country, we have been transferred into a spiritual kingdom whose king is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The kingdom of Christ is a spiritual and eternal kingdom invisible to the physical eye. We live in His kingdom by faith, not by sight. Jesus said that we can’t point out this kingdom to anyone. Nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ Yet He also said that the kingdom is very real. For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst (Luke 17:21, NASB).

The power available to us is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. The apostle Paul prayed that we might perceive the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:19,20, NASB).

On my trip to Russia I could have attempted to live as though I were still in Atlanta, Georgia, but I wouldn’t have fared too well. If I had tried to check into a hotel without a passport, I would have been deported. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we don’t have to be governed by the old, defeated powers of this world. In the kingdom of God, the same power that raised Christ from the dead and defeated Satan is available to us every day. It is this power that enables us to live in freedom and victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.

This power is available to us as we live by faith in God’s kingdom and trust Him in every aspect of our lives. We are not just helpless victims subject to powerful forces in this fallen world. We are subjects in God’s kingdom and citizens of heaven, and His resurrection power is available to us. The writer of Hebrews said that we should be moved to awe and reverence because we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28).

As children of God, we have been made joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are to reign in this kingdom with Him and through Him. Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17, NASB).

Paul says in Romans 6:1-4 (THE MESSAGE): So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? . . . We entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!

This world offers many things that appeal to the flesh, but you cannot satisfy the flesh. The more you try, the more it craves. The temporal attractions of this world are flimsy, fleeting and superficial. Those who succumb to those temptations do a lot of posturing, positioning, boasting and bragging. This world has been judged and, eventually, we will lose every worldly possession and position.

The kingdom of God is characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (see Gal. 5:22,23). We can have these fruits of the Spirit only by the grace of God. May it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. 6:14, NASB).

Probe

Are you aware of your rights and responsibilities of living in God’s kingdom? Now that you are alive in Christ, how can you live as though you are dead to sin (see Rom. 6:11)?

Journal

DAY 3

Thought for Today: The gospel brings you out of darkness into light.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1 PETER 2:9, NKJV

When I was in Russia, I was shocked to see that almost everything was rundown, broken, old and dirty. Most of the cars and trucks would be classified as junk heaps in America. Nothing seemed to be clean, and weeds grew unrestrained everywhere. A large number of people lived in multi-story apartment buildings that looked like slum tenements and would probably be condemned in the States. What we take for granted as basic essentials for living, such as ice cubes, napkins and toilet paper, were almost impossible to obtain.

These people were oppressed. I was saddened by the people’s sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Why did such a spirit prevail? Because Russian citizens had lived under Communist persecution and oppression all their lives. They didn’t know anything different.

When a Russian pastor traveled outside Russia for the first time and stepped off the plane in Europe to see well-kept yards, clean streets and homes and the beautifully landscaped boulevards, he broke down and wept. He didn’t know what he had been missing all his life until he saw the free world.

People who are in bondage live in darkness, and they don’t know what freedom is like because they have never experienced it. Many don’t know how to get out of bondage and others aren’t even aware that it is possible in Christ. Jesus therefore said to them, ‘For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes’ (John 12:35, NASB). When Jesus came into the world, He brought eternal life and the life was the light of men (John 1:4, NASB). In fact, Jesus was the light of the world, and He came to rescue us from the domain of darkness. I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness (John 12:46, NASB).

Every Christian has been brought out of darkness into light. However, we have the choice of walking in darkness or light. When we believe the truth and follow Christ, we walk in the light. But if we believe the lies of the enemy and follow the ways of the world, we walk in darkness. Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life’ (John 8:12, NASB).

How do we get out of bondage? Jesus said, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32, NASB). Truth sets us free. We live in bondage when we believe the lies of this world and walk in darkness. Like the people in the former Soviet Union, some have lived in the darkness for so long that it seems normal to them.

If you believe the truth and are walking in the light, then you are free. To walk in the light is the same as confession, which means to agree with God. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. . . . If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7,9).

Jesus said that some people like darkness more than light because their deeds are evil and they fear the exposure of the light (see John 3:19,20). Jesus came to bring us out of darkness into His light; He came to set captives free, restore sight to the blind and release the oppressed (see Luke 4:18). The captives will be freed and the oppressed released when they recover their sight and see the truth. It is the truth of God’s Word that sets you free, and you will stay free if you walk by faith according to what God says is true.

In Charles Wesley’s great hymn, And Can It Be That I Should Gain? the fourth verse describes the freedom found in Christ this way:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound

in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free;

I rose went forth and followed Thee.¹

Not only has God brought us into His marvelous light, He has made us fit to walk in it. We are now a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own special people (see 1 Pet. 2:9). In fact, we are not just in the light; God has made us light. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Eph. 5:8). We are not called to act like someone we really are not, but we are to live according to who we really are—children of light.

The light of the world has come for Russians who know Christ. I was in a church service the Sunday after the new law restricting religious freedom had just been passed. During the worship and praise time, the believers were literally jumping for joy. They still lived in an oppressive society, but these Christians were so excited about having come out of darkness into His marvelous light that they couldn’t contain their joy.

Probe

Facing the truth and walking in the light is the first step in recovery and is essential for living free in Christ. Are you walking in the light by living in continuous moral agreement with God? In what ways haven’t you been honest with others about who you really are? Ask God to show you, and when He does, confess it. Be honest with God and those you live with.

Journal

Note

1. Charles Wesley, Worship and Service Hymnal (Chicago: Hope Publishing Co., 1968).

DAY 4

Thought for Today: The gospel is true truth and real reality—anything contrary is false.

Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.

ROMANS 3:4

Jamie Buckingham told a story about his mother-in-law’s witnessing to him. He resisted her with many intellectual arguments until she said, Let God be true, and every man a liar. That did it for Jamie! Shortly after that he became a Christian.

The world wants us to believe that homosexuals are born that way and that alcoholism is a disease. But God’s Word tells us differently (see 1 Cor. 6:9-11). The world spends billions of dollars to fund man-made projects, but Jesus tells us that a penny invested in His kingdom from a poor widow means more (see Mark 12:42,43). The corporate world implies that we must put self first if we’re going to get ahead, but Jesus tells us that everything gained by self-centered living will be lost. We can’t take it with us (see Matt. 10:39).

To be successful do we need a trim body, a new car, the latest computer, a fat bank account? The apostle Paul discovered that such gains are nothing but rubbish compared to knowing Christ Jesus our Lord (see Phil. 3:7,8). In order to be wise, do we need the wisdom of this world? Paul says that those who pursue knowledge are always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:7, NASB). The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (see 1 Cor. 1:18); the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (see 1 Cor. 1:25). The world has worshiped the creation rather than the Creator, and exchanged the truth of God for a lie (see Rom. 1:18,25).

Christians who are not walking in freedom are living in bondage to the lies they believe about God and themselves. I have a friend who was a dedicated Christian. He had a wonderful wife and three children. He served in a Christian ministry and was well respected. But he had struggled with sexual feelings toward other men from the time he was a child and, on a few occasions, acted on those feelings. As a result, he lost his ministry and family and battled depression for years.

He tried everything he knew to get free, but he couldn’t get over the fact that he had these feelings. Eventually, he believed the lie that he was a homosexual. He was a Christian but he resigned himself to this continual struggle he couldn’t seem to win.

When he read Victory over the Darkness, The Bondage Breaker and Freedom from