If God is on our side, who is against us? . . . Overwhelming victory is ours through him who loved us. Rom. 8:31-37, N.E.B.

Did you ever take time, in looking over your old school annuals, to find out what happened to those you went to school with? Some of them have taken the escalator going up in life. Others have taken it going down. The Bible records the same thing about men of old—Pharaoh, Belshazzar, Judas Iscariot all spiraled down to the dust. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Paul, the other apostles—all took the narrow road leading up to God.

Our Lord has promised and planned for us to be conquerors. As we look to Him and turn away from self and sin we share His own confidence and assurance through His victory on our behalf. When Christ sent forth His disciples commissioned and empowered, "the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." For us today the same victory is possible. God is leading us to triumph in truth and righteousness over the powers of evil.

How little of this appears to the natural eye. We often become fainthearted because we see so little evidence of the triumph of Christ. Let us stand firm on Christ's victory. Let us share in His confidence. Since Christ is so sure about our victory, let us identify ourselves with it. His victorious love inspires us into immortal goodness and beauty of character. He not only gives us right truth but makes truth to prevail in our lives.

God-reliance is our need. Self-reliance fails us. We are not victorious by some unknown magic. Christ draws our hearts and minds unto Himself. He is our impregnable defense, our refuge and our fortress. Beside us walk shining squadrons of angels who bear us up in their hands.

We become victorious not by the restraint of fear, but by the love of God, who is our strength. To look to Christ is to look away from evil. To discern the beauty of Christ is to exclude the devil. To satisfy the mind with the inexhaustible riches of God is to remain unmoved by the false glitter of earthly things. The Lord we trust is the omnipotent God. Through Him we fight to conquer.