But after several months of following Christ, I noticed one habit that didn't seem to go away. I was extremely jealous. When a boy would talk to my girlfriend, anger would rise up within me. I was so enraged that I wanted to hit the guy. But I knew that was wrong and these feelings were not pleasing to God. Therefore, I decided that I needed to try real hard not to be jealous. I don't know if you've ever tried not to be jealous, but let me give you some friendly advice. Don't try. It's impossible!

The harder I tried not to be jealous, the more jealous I became. I would grit my teeth and muster all of the strength I could find, but I became even more jealous. I didn't know what to do. I tried even harder and failed even more miserably. The harder I tried to overcome this besetting sin, it seemed as though the more enslaved that I became to it.

One day I learned the secret of victorious Christian living. It's not in trying, but in trusting. It's not in what I can do, but in what Christ has already done to acquire the victory. All I needed to do was to trust in Him. He was tempted in every way in which I or anyone else has been tempted, but He was without sin. In other words, He has already overcome jealousy. I just needed to trust Him. He was living in me, and He would do the same thing today that He did 2000 years ago. I just needed to stop trying and start trusting - believing Jesus to be my victory over jealousy. The same Jesus who saved me and forgave my sins is quite capable of securing my victory over the sin that plagues me.

The next time that I felt jealousy and anger rising in my heart, I whispered a prayer, "God, just as I trusted You to save me, I'm trusting You to be my victory over jealousy and anger today." The most amazing thing happened. The feelings of insecurity and anger left. But not long after that I was tempted again to become jealous. I simply turned again to Jesus and said, "Lord, I'm trusting You again to be my victory." And victory followed.

Satan kept returning and tempting, but I kept trusting and looking unto Jesus. After several months, I began to notice that Satan wasn't tempting me nearly as often. He must have been wearied at having to deal with Jesus rather than me. Jesus has defeated the devil in our lives. The victory that we experience over temptation, sin, and the devil is not in trying in the power of our own flesh. Satan knows the futility of our flesh. He knows everyone of our weaknesses. He knows where we are vulnerable. That's why it's so important to trust completely in Christ and not in ourselves.

The victory has been secured by Jesus when He lived an absolutely perfect, sinless life 2000 years ago. When He died on the cross, He declared, "It is finished." He had completed the work. He was obedient completely unto death. He made a public display of the defeat of all of the forces of evil. Three days later He arose from the grave. He overcame every enemy that man will ever face. He overcame sin, death, hell, and the devil and his demons. The victory is completely His triumph. We simply enter into His triumph as we trust in Him.

The greatest lesson any believer will ever learn about victorious Christian living is that it's not in trying, but in trusting that we experience success. Trying to overcome sin in our own power is like a lion facing a den of Daniels or a Goliath facing 100 young faith filled Davids. That would be utter defeat. But the faith of a small David can defeat any giant in our lives. Daniel trusted in God, and the lions were rendered powerless. David only met failure when he operated in the power of his flesh. Samson lost his strength when he flirted with temptation. Their only victory and strength was in the same place that you and I have victory. When they trusted in God, they were overwhelmingly more than conquerors through Christ who loved them. Stop trying and start trusting!