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THE TONE OF VICTORY
May we shout victoriously in Your salvation. Psalm 20:5
Whom having not seen, you love; into whom though not seeing Him at present, yet believing, you exult with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. 1 Peter 1:8
During the past few evenings, we have been considering the way for a Christian to overcome. Thank God that many brothers and sisters among us have entered into the experience of the overcoming life. Last night we saw the way for the overcoming life to grow. Today we will consider another subject, the tone of victory. Often a person sings with the right words but the wrong tone. Please remember that the overcoming life also has its tone. It is not enough for the words to be right; the tone must also be right. Today we will consider the meaning of the tone of victory.
Psalm 20:5 says, “May we shout victoriously in Your salvation.” The word “salvation” can be translated as “victory” (see margin of ASV), and the words “shout victoriously” can be translated as “rejoice.” There is no great difference between salvation and victory; they are merely two aspects of the same thing.
Thank the Lord that many brothers and sisters have passed through the gate of victory. But after one passes through this experience, he still needs to have the right tone of victory. You may not understand what is meant by the right tone. Perhaps I can put it another way: Victory has its benchmarks. How do you know that you have overcome? When do you know that you have overcome? You know that you have overcome by Psalm 20:5: “Shout victoriously in Your salvation.”
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VICTORY AND BOASTING IN VICTORY
I wonder whether you know the difference between victory and boasting in victory. What is victory, and what is boasting in victory? Victory is something that Christ has done, and boasting in victory is something that we do. Victory is the work of Christ, while boasting in victory is our work. Victory tells us that the work is done and still prevailing, while boasting in victory is a continuous proclamation after the act of victory. I used to play cricket. It is a strenuous game; the ball is heavy, and one’s hands hurt after hitting the ball for awhile. One competes for an hour, sweating and striving; he hits the ball through one gate, another gate, and finally through the last gate. This is victory. When a team wins, the other classmates wave their flags and rejoice and shout. This is boasting in victory. The team wins the victory, but the other classmates boast in the victory. Thank God that victory is accomplished by Christ! We did not shed any blood for it. Yet we can boast in His victory.
Please remember that after a Christian has overcome, he should continue to exercise his mouth to boast in victory. A day without a hallelujah is a day without boasting in victory. If we see only rivers of tears daily, there is no boasting in victory. Our tone should be one that rejoices in His salvation, one that shouts victoriously in His victory. When our cricket team won, we brought the victory to our school, and our classmates boasted in this victory. In the same way, our Lord has won the victory and brought this victory to us. Now we can boast continuously in this victory.
We should say, “Hallelujah! Christ is Victor!” All those who cannot say hallelujah may not be defeated, but they certainly do not have the tone of victory. A man from Kiangsi may speak the Peking dialect. The words may be right, but the tone is wrong. Those who cannot say hallelujah have the wrong tone. We have to not only overcome but also have the right tone. If our tone is wrong, others will doubt whether we have overcome, and we also will doubt whether we have overcome. Peter’s tone was that of a Galilean, and even a maid could detect it. When we lack the “Galilean” tone, our voice will betray our victory. Every day we need to have the “Galilean” tone. We should be identified as those who have followed Jesus, who have the “Galilean” tone.
THE BOASTING OF KING JEHOSHAPHAT
In the Old Testament, there was a king of Judah by the name of Jehoshaphat. Let us read 2 Chronicles 20 to learn about his tone of victory.
At that time, “the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other besides the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle” (v. 1). At the time of Jehoshaphat, the kingdom of Judah was very weak and helpless in fighting against its enemies. Jehoshaphat was, of course, afraid when he looked at himself. He could do nothing before, and he could do nothing now. When the enemies came again, what could he do? He could do nothing.
Yet he was a man who feared God. He “set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (v. 3). He could do nothing except come to God. He prayed to the Lord, “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” (v. 12). He acknowledged his helplessness, and his eyes were set upon the Lord. Brothers and sisters, during the past few days, we have repeated the conditions for surrendering many times. They are: (1) to realize that we cannot make it, and (2) to stop trying to make it. We should also believe in God. This was what Jehoshaphat did. He acknowledged this by saying that he did not have the strength to withstand the enemy and did not know what to do. He could only look to the Lord.
God sent a prophet to him immediately, and said to him, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15). The battle is the Lord’s! Victory or failure has nothing to do with us. Temper, pride, doubt, unclean thoughts, greed, and all kinds of sins have nothing to do with us. The battle is not ours, but God’s. God has said, “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle” (v. 17). God demands only that we stand still. He wants us to put down our hands and leave everything up to Him. We need only to stand still and “see the salvation of the Lord” (v. 17). Brothers and sisters, we are not the ones who are fighting; we are the spectators. Whenever we stop boasting in victory, we fail. We do not have to be afraid before God, because He is the One who will battle for us.
Jehoshaphat did one thing more. He not only stood still and watched the battle, but he also fell down on his face to worship God when he heard the word of the prophet! All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem also fell before the Lord and worshipped Him. Others were joining hands to attack them, but what were they doing on their part? They asked a group of Levites to stand up to praise the Lord. They were “in holy array” (v. 21, ASV), and they went before the army to praise Jehovah. Were they crazy? They were not afraid of rocks and arrows; they were singing praises to God. This is the tone of victory. They had the tone of victory because they knew that Jehovah had given them the victory and that the enemies were already defeated. They knew that they had already won the battle. Some believe that when temptations come, they should struggle and withstand them. But God said, “And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (v. 22). Whenever songs of praises are sung to the Lord, the enemies are defeated.
What was the result? “And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped” (v. 24). Either God does not give the victory at all, or He gives a victory in which no one escapes. If it were up to us, we might leave five or six persons behind. But God did not leave one. The words “when they began” in verse 22 are very meaningful. As the people were beginning to sing, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and children of Mount Seir. Brothers and sisters, God can work only when we begin to praise. Whenever we begin to praise, God begins to work.
Brothers and sisters, I know that we are faced with many temptations, and I know that we have many trials. There may be physical weaknesses, adverse circumstances, or various difficulties at work. We may say, “What should I do? How can I overcome?” Brothers and sisters, we know that we should overcome, but our tone is wrong. When temptations come, we should say, “Hallelujah!” When trials come, we should say, “Hallelujah!” When we see difficulties come, we should say, “Hallelujah!” Once we shout, “Hallelujah,” the enemies will be defeated. Whenever we praise, our God will begin to work. Once we begin to sing, He begins to work.
Brothers and sisters, it is not enough to acknowledge that we cannot make it, and it is not enough to believe that God can make it. We have to shout from our heart, “Hallelujah! Thank You, God, because I am under trials. Thank You, God, because I cannot make it. Thank You, God, because the victory is mine.” Jehoshaphat continued to sing because he believed that he had overcome. In the eyes of Jehoshaphat, everyone was already a dead corpse. Consequently, he could go on and sing. He was not afraid of the rocks, because he considered his enemies as already being dead. When they went up to the watchtower and looked, there were only dead bodies fallen to the earth.
TWO PRAISES AND THANKSGIVINGS
“And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord” (vv. 26-28). There are two sections to our praises and thanksgiving. One section happens before the victory, and the other section happens after the victory. The great mistake that we make today is that we do not have the praise that is uttered before the victory; we hold back this praise and wait to see what will happen. Many brothers and sisters have acknowledged that they cannot make it and that they will not try to make it. They have believed in God’s facts and believed that Christ is their victory. But they dare not say, “Hallelujah, I have overcome.” One brother said that he had to wait and see whether it would work. Another sister said that she had to wait and see whether it would produce the right result. They were saying that they would praise God the next day if they saw some results. But Jehoshaphat had two praises. Every overcomer should have two praises: praises before his eyes see the result and praises after his eyes see the result. This is the tone of victory. As soon as we stop our praise, we are defeated and we lose our victory.
We ask whether or not we have overcome, but I must ask whether or not we have shouted, “Hallelujah.” “Hallelujah” is the tone of victory. If the tone is right, the victory is genuine. We can fabricate anything, but we cannot fabricate the tone of victory. Every overcomer has a tone which continually rejoices and praises. We can tell where a man comes from by his tone. We can tell also if a man has overcome by his tone. The mark of victory is the shout of “Hallelujah!” and “Praise the Lord!” When temptation arises, the mark of victory is the ability to say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” No one who looks at himself can praise the Lord. Only those who look to the Lord can praise Him. Once we look at ourselves, we will find that we are unable, and we will not be able to say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” Once we behold the Lord, we can say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” It does not matter whether temptations have increased. It does not matter whether the Moabites and the Ammonites are more numerous than before. The battle is the Lord’s, not ours. The Lord is responsible for everything. Therefore, the tone of victory is in our rejoicing, praising, and thanksgiving to the Lord. We do not have to wait until we have actually failed, been defiled, and sinned before saying that we are defeated. As long as we stop our praise and thanksgiving, we have lost our victory. We do not have to commit any great sin; as long as we do not boast in His victory and as long as we do not thank and praise, we have lost our victory. Brothers and sisters, the overcoming life that God has given sings “hallelujah” every day; it rejoices every day. Once this mark is gone, the victory is lost.
MAINTAINING ONE’S VICTORY IN JOY AND REJOICING
A verse which is very familiar to us is Nehemiah 8:10: “For the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The life that God has given us is expressed in joy. Our Lord Jesus lives in an atmosphere of joy, rejoicing, praise, and thanksgiving. This is the lesson I have learned during the past few years. In the past, I knew that I was forgiven and that I had endured, consecrated, and obeyed the Lord. But I felt somewhat bitter, and there were some small complaints. I could not thank and praise the Lord. Whenever we cannot thank and praise Him, we are defeated. Brothers and sisters, our victory is found in our joy. Whenever we throw away our joy and rejoicing, we throw away our victory as well. Whenever we throw away our joy and rejoicing, we become bound. A brother testified that he had never realized as much as in these past few days that joy affords strength. Whenever we are not joyful and rejoicing, we are depressed. We have to maintain our victory in joy and rejoicing. Victory is like a fish which must be kept in water. Victory has to be kept in joy and rejoicing. We should maintain our victory in joy and rejoicing.
REJOICING IN TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
But how can we rejoice? We can rejoice and praise God joyfully over many things. For example, if we have passed the gate of victory and power, we can rejoice and praise God joyfully. But the Bible says that we can rejoice in many of the things that we normally do not rejoice in. We can find out from the Bible the kinds of things we can rejoice in.
Second Corinthians 8:2 says, “That in much proving of affliction the abundance of their joy and the depth of their poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.” This verse tells us that the Macedonians had the abundance of joy in the midst of much testing and affliction. They did not have one or two drops of joy but the abundance of joy. Brothers and sisters, we have to always rejoice, and we have to have the abundance of joy. Even in the midst of tribulations, we should still rejoice. The life of Christ is a life of victory, and we can boast in His victory. Even when large armies are threatening us and great tribulations are awaiting us, we can still rejoice and praise the Lord. One characteristic of victory is the overflow of praise and thanksgiving in the midst of tribulation.
There is a brother who was a railroad worker. One of his legs was cut off by a passing train in an accident. When he woke up in the hospital after the accident, he was asked whether he could still thank and praise the Lord. He answered, “I thank and praise Him because only one leg was cut off.” Brothers and sisters, even though he encountered tribulation, he was able to thank and praise the Lord. This is the tone of victory. The tone of victory is thanksgiving and praise in the midst of great tribulation.
James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, whenever you fall into various trials.” First Peter 1:6 says, “In which time you exult.” What is this? Verse 8 says, “Whom having not seen, you love; into whom though not seeing Him at present, yet believing, you exult with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.” In chapter four, verses 12 and 13 say, “Beloved, do not think that the fiery ordeal among you, coming to you for a trial, is strange, as if it were a strange thing happening to you; but inasmuch as you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice exultingly.” These few passages tell us how we should behave in the days of tribulation. The book of James speaks of “various trials.” This includes the trials that one should face as well as trials that one should not face; they come all at once. Enemies come, friends come, unbelievers come, brothers come, and reasonable as well as unreasonable things come. All kinds of trials come, but these things cannot take away our joy. Please remember that the Bible always qualifies joy with adjectives such as great and full. All of God’s joys are great and full. First Peter 1:6 says that one greatly rejoices, while the grief is but for “a little while” (RSV). Can there be grief? Yes, there can; in fact, grief is unavoidable. While our eyes are here, tears will always come. As long as our tear ducts are here, tears will always come. But even though there may be tears, there is also rejoicing. Hence, 1 Peter 1:8 speaks of “joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.” There is no way to describe this joy. Many times, while our tears are still wet, we are already shouting, “Hallelujah!” Many times, while tears are still rolling, our mouths are thanking and praising God. Many people have tears that are mingled with their thanksgiving and praises. Miss M. E. Barber wrote a hymn with one line which says, “Let the spirit praise Thee, / Though the heart be riven” (Hymns, #377). While we live on earth today, our heart cannot help but be riven at times. The heart has its feelings, yet the spirit can still praise the Lord. First Peter 4:12 says that we should rejoice not only in the midst of trials, but also in anticipation of the trials. This means that we should welcome the trials and say, “Praise and thank the Lord, the trials are here again.”
Some brothers raise their eyebrows as soon as trials come to them. They murmur, “Here they are again!” But Peter told us to thank God joyfully that they are here again. Whenever we praise and thank the Lord, we are above the trials. Nothing can put us above the temptations, circumstances, and difficulties more than joy, thanksgiving, and praise. This is the proper tone of victory; it is expressed in an overcomer.
A sister in Chefoo who entered the overcoming experience was under severe trials. Her daughter died within a matter of hours, and her husband was away in a distant place. When the daughter died, the brothers and sisters went over to comfort her. Although her eyes were full of tears, her face was full of joy. She said, “Thank and praise the Lord. Although I do not understand why my child is dead, I am still full of joy.” The brothers and sisters tried to comfort her; instead, she comforted them. Such joy cannot be fabricated. Victory is maintained by this kind of tone. One can still praise the Lord joyfully in the midst of trials.
Let me say a word that might not appeal to you: Christians are a pattern to others on earth. God has placed us on earth as a pattern to others. If we weep when others weep and become frustrated when others are frustrated, we will become the same as everyone else. Where then is our victory? We should show the world that in the midst of these matters, we have joy and strength. We may appear crazy to them, but they will hunger after the Christ who makes us so “crazy.” May the Lord be gracious to us so that we will express the victory of Christ in the midst of tribulations.
Matthew 5:11-12 says, “Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and while speaking lies, say every evil thing against you because of Me. Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens.” When others reproach us, we may endure it; when they persecute us, we may not speak back. But enduring and shutting up are not enough. If we only endure and shut up, we are already defeated. The world can endure and shut up as well. The monks can do the same, and so can the scholars of Confucius. We should be different from them. When others reproach us, we should be able to say, “Praise and thank the Lord.” We should consider it a joy that others reproach us. When others persecute us, we should thank and praise the Lord and consider this a matter of joy. If our victory is a genuine victory, we should rejoice and exult. If victory merely means suffering reproach, it is just human work. Human work results in suppression, while every work of the Lord results in joy and exultation.
Brothers and sisters, the test is in our tone. The greatest mistake today is that man considers endurance to be the greatest virtue. When others reproach us, can we rejoice greatly? When others reproach us, are we merely looking at the floor and shutting our mouth? There are many people who experience persecution. There are many sisters who are persecuted by their husbands. Many people experience slanders and lies. What do they do? They pray that the Lord would keep them from losing their temper or becoming angry with others. They think that as long as they do not lose their temper and do not blow up, they have overcome. But have they really overcome? It is true that they have the victory, but it is not the victory that the Lord gives. If it is the Lord’s victory, they can thank and praise the Lord greatly in the midst of the reproach and persecution. Let me repeat: Whenever we find that we cannot thank and praise the Lord, we are defeated already. The tone of victory is thanksgiving and praise.
There was a man who sat on a tram beside a great enemy of his. This man was a brother, and he prayed to the Lord, saying, “Lord, keep me.” While he prayed, he maintained a nice attitude and even conversed with his enemy on subjects like the news and sports. But within him, he was constantly praying that the Lord would cause his enemy to get off the tram before he did and that the Lord would keep him overcoming all the way. Finally, after much struggling, he arrived at his destination and got off the tram. He sighed a long sigh of relief and said, “I have overcome.” But what kind of victory is this? This is a cheating victory, a man-made victory, and an empty victory. If it had been God’s victory, there would have been no need to ask the Lord to keep him or help him endure. He would have needed to say only, “God, I thank and praise You that You have put me here. Since You have put me here, it does not matter whether You leave me here for a longer time.”
Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” In describing joy, the Bible uses either the word great, full, or always. Always means “all the time.” Paul was saying, “Have you heard this word? If you have not heard it yet, let me repeat it for you: ‘Again I will say, rejoice.’” If we did not get it yet, he would repeat it once more—that we should rejoice. The life that God gives is a life of joy. Rejoicing is the daily life of a Christian. There may be tribulations and trials, but there is still rejoicing. The opposite of rejoicing is being anxious. Many people are anxious for their children, their money, or their business. But the Word of the Lord says, “In nothing be anxious” (Phil. 4:6). We think that anxiety is justified, but the Lord says, “In nothing be anxious.” This is because we should always rejoice.
If we do not rejoice for a day, we have sinned that day. Once a brother was preaching at a conference on being anxious in nothing. When a sister heard this, she was very angry. She thought, “How can a person not be anxious? If the brothers would be a little more anxious, they could serve us better food.” (The brothers were the ones taking care of the food during that conference.) But the Lord could not let her go. She eventually saw that anxiety is a sin, and she overcame.
I can say much more about this subject. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “I am well pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions and distresses.” Paul rejoiced in weaknesses, insults, necessities, persecutions, and distresses. Brothers and sisters, we do not know what will befall us. We do know, however, that while we are living on this earth, our circumstances will not always go our way. Some are sick; others have family members who are sick. Some have relatives who are dying, and others are facing persecution. What are we going to do? We may say, “Lord, I will endure,” but saying that means that we have failed. If we say, “Lord, I thank and praise You,” we will be victorious and Christ will be manifested in us. We will provide the Lord a chance to manifest His power, and we will rejoice. This is our daily life on earth. We should rejoice and thank and praise the Lord all the time.
First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks.” We should give thanks in everything. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” These two passages of the Scriptures encompass everything. Whatever we have missed in the other passages is included in these two verses. I thank and praise the Lord. I can say, “Hallelujah.” Others may wonder what is happening to us, but we can give thanks in everything and praise the Lord for everything. Brothers and sisters, if we do this, we will prevail over every temptation, and we will withstand every trial. No tribulation or trial will touch us. Those who go this way will find the strength for their temptations. We can thank and praise the Lord for temptations because we have obeyed the Lord.
Some may think that I am against endurance. Endurance is precious, and it is right to endure. However, the kind of endurance we want is not an endurance that comes by gritting our teeth. Colossians 1:11 says, “Unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy.” We endure and suffer with joy. This is not an unwilling or bitter endurance. The daily tone of the Christian life is one of endurance and long-suffering with joy. In everything we give thanks, and in everything we offer praise. This is a life in the third heavens.
THE LORD’S VICTORY MORE THAN CONQUERS
Why must the overcoming life be manifested in rejoicing? Why must we rejoice before we can say that we have the overcoming life? Romans 8:37 says, “But in all these things we more than conquer.” God gives only one kind of victory, the victory that more than conquers. Any victory that barely makes it is not a victory from the Lord. The victory that the Lord gives is the victory that more than conquers. The victory that barely makes it and barely carries us over the top is not a victory at all. The Lord’s victory is always one that more than conquers, and the only way to have the victory that more than conquers is by rejoicing.
Brothers and sisters, our cup is running over. Everything that God gives runs over. Anything that does not run over is not from God. The kind of victory that God gives is “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And to him who wishes to sue you and take your tunic, yield to him your cloak also; and whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matt. 5:39-41). The victory that runs over is God’s victory. Barely overcoming is a man-made victory; it is the product of human effort.
Brothers and sisters, this is the tone of victory. May God open our eyes to see that any victory that does not more than conquer is just an imitation victory. While we are suppressing and wrestling, we are only imitating victory. If Christ lives in us, we will rejoice in everything, and we will thank and praise the Lord. We will say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord,” forever.