Living Free From the Weight of OffenseSample

Moving Beyond Defeat

There were years when offense felt like defeat on repeat. I’d tell myself, I’m fine, but the bitterness still simmered. I wanted victory, but offense kept me trapped.

Romans 8:37 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” The word “conquerors” comes from the Greek hypernikaō — not barely surviving, but overwhelmingly victorious. Jesus promised in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Trouble is real, but so is His victory.

Moving beyond defeat doesn’t mean forgetting the pain. It means entrusting it to the One who has already overcome. Offense loses its grip when we believe that Jesus’ victory is greater than our wound.

Reflection: Where do you feel most defeated by offense? How could you trust Jesus’ victory in that place today?