"Why are you taking karate lessons?" she quickly asked.

The pastor sheepishly responded, "You must understand that it's very dangerous here. I need to be able to protect myself."

"Then you don't understand your position in Christ."

"What do you mean," the pastor asked.

The little missionary then began to explain a great theological and practical truth about victory in Christ. She began drawing circles. After the first circle she said, "This circle represents your life." She then drew a bigger circle around the first one. "The bigger circle represents Christ. The Bible says that you are in Christ. Do you understand?" she questioned.

After a positive response, the little lady then drew an even bigger circle around the first two circles. "That circle" she said, "represents the Father. You are in Christ and Christ is in the Father." Then she drew a small circle inside the first circle. "That circle represents the Holy Spirit who lives inside you. You are in Christ. Christ is in the Father. And the Holy Spirit lives in you."

After the pastor agreed, the little missionary lady continued, "Before the devil can do anything to harm you, he has to first go through the Father and get permission from Him. If the Father gives him permission to attack you, he then must go through the Son. If the Son gives him permission to attack you, then you have the blessed Holy Spirit living within you. And the Bible says that 'greater is He who lives in you than he who lives in the world.' Then why are you so afraid? The safest place in the world to be is 'in Christ."

That little lady understood a great truth about victorious Christian living. Our victory is completely related to our position in Christ. Therefore, everyday we need to awaken and clothe ourselves with Christ. We need to take time to recognize that we are in Christ. By faith, we must claim Christ's protection over us. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to take complete control of our lives. As He fills us, we will experience victory over the attacks that Satan has against us.

Perhaps it would do us good to draw a few circles and remind ourselves of our position in Christ. I've walked into a revolution, the aftermath of an attempted genocide, been in airports that terrorists were threatening to blow up, had knives put to my throat, and been shot at as I've attempted to bring the message of God's love around the world. But I've learned that the safest place in the world is "in Christ." I need to simply take time daily to place myself in Christ and allow Christ to fill me. There's no safer place in the world than "abiding in Christ."