What is God’s way of securing this Victory?
There are two ways of getting money, or any other thing of value—either working for it, or receiving it as a gift.
Two Ways to Seek Victory
There are two ways of seeking after salvation—working for it or receiving it as a gift. But there are not two ways of obtaining salvation or eternal life. For when a sinner works, he works sin; and the wages of sin is death. Life is never earned. Death is. Life must be given. So the free gift of God, the only author of life, is eternal life. We are saved by Grace, not by works, for the least particle of “works” would make Grace void.
There are two ways of seeking after the Victorious Life, present freedom from the law of sin—working for it, striving and struggling after it, or receiving it as a free gift, without effort. There are not two ways of obtaining Victory. For when a saved sinner struggles with inward desires toward evil he is under the law—using his own efforts—and not under grace, and the struggle at some time or other always ends in defeat.
The Victorious Life is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned. It therefore must be accepted on the same terms as salvation from the penalty of sin. It must be received as a gift. To enjoy a gift one has but to take it, and thank the giver.
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Cor. 12:9).
To believe these words of God is to enjoy the gift of victory.
“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death” (Rom. 8:2).
To believe this word is to enjoy present freedom from the law of sin. “Every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin.... If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:34, 35).