Almost everyone that lives has experienced defeat. Defeat is something we cannot avoid. It lurks around corners, waiting to attack us. From out of nowhere, defeat falls right in our lap. There are no warning signs flashing up the road to inform us of future failures. No, just one big fat let-me-down is all we are offered one defeat after another until failure has attached itself to our lives. Then we totally lose focus on the fact that we can have the victory for our lives. Yes, my friend, even after a losing season, you can still win the championship. The savouring taste of sweet victory is only a few pages away.
I can recall my first year of wrestling. It was a trying experience. I began the first half of the year by losing to nearly all my opponents. Well, to be very honest, I do not think I won a single match at the start of the season. Losing was quite embarrassing, considering that my name had a long history of winners. Most of my family dominated every sport they entered. I did not seem to have a prayer—at least I thought that, until one day, I got hungry for more than just being on the team. I had developed an appetite for greater things. The appetite came after having to stand beside my opponent and watch his hand rise to power. From that moment, no one could stop that person from believing that he was better than I was. My friend, Satan thinks this way after he has taken from you what rightfully belongs to you.
"When will my hand be raised?" I asked. "When will I finally have my day?" If you have asked these very same questions, then this book is for you. If you have never asked the question but always wanted to, then ask yourself aloud now, "When will it be my time to win?" Now that you have asked, I will tell you. Your time will be when you decide to take it by force.
Even though God has given us the victories over our enemies, they won’t bring it to us on a silver platter. It is not their nature to do so. If that is what you are waiting on, then keep waiting while your moment passes you by and your dreams go unfulfilled. Trust me, as believers we are going to have to take our victory by force from the hands of our enemies (Matt. 11:12).
I know that it may be hard to visualize yourself standing in the winner’s circle at times after having lost so many times before. Moreover, what could be more crushing than losing at things you thought you where good at, such as being a good wife or husband, when the marriage still ended in failure? You did everything to hold it all together, but it all continued to crumble until there was nothing left. You prayed, but nothing happened. You felt as if God had abandoned you and left you hurt and confused. You cried tears of pain, but that did not fix the problem, so now you find yourself standing at the crossroads of life, too afraid to go forward, yet too burdened to go backward. You lost all hope in God and yourself, yet I say to you that it is not too late to love again.