First love, first victory

"He Led Captivity Captive" - The Victory Secured

Every July, we celebrate independence. Flags wave, fireworks explode, and we remember the cost of freedom. But there's a deeper independence that transcends any earthly liberty: the victory Christ secured when "He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men" (Ephesians 4:8).

The battle is already won. Jesus declared this victory complete when He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Not "It will be finished" or "It might be finished"—but "It IS finished." Your freedom was purchased in full, with no payment plan required from you.

Most believers know this truth intellectually but struggle to live from it practically. They operate like soldiers who haven't received word that the war is over, still fighting battles that were decided two thousand years ago. They've traded the joy of their salvation for the grinding effort of spiritual performance.

The Ephesus Warning

This is precisely the danger Jesus warned the church in Ephesus about: losing your first love while maintaining doctrinal correctness.

Christ commended them for hating what He hated—they had proper discernment, solid doctrine, and spiritual endurance. They understood Paul's warning:

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit" (Colossians 2:8).

They guarded against external deception but missed the internal erosion of first love.

You see this pattern everywhere in modern Christianity. Churches with impeccable doctrine but no joy. Believers who can quote Scripture but can't remember the last time it moved them to tears. Leaders who preach about God's love while displaying none of its warmth. The theology is correct, but the heart has gone cold.

What does "lost first love" look like in individual believers today? You go through the motions without emotion. Prayer becomes duty instead of delight. Scripture reading becomes a mere checkbox rather than a genuine communion. You find yourself majoring in criticism rather than compassion, becoming more concerned with what's wrong with others than what's right with Christ.

The progression is gradual and subtle: from joy to duty, from gratitude to grinding, from worship to work. You start measuring your relationship with God by what you're doing for Him rather than resting in what He's done for you.

Here's the critical truth: hating what He hates is only good if we start with loving what He loves. John didn't write "God is hate" in his epistles—he wrote "God is love" (1 John 4:8). That's the foundation. When we reverse this order, we create religious systems focused on purity codes and conformity rather than charity—the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14).

The Ephesians had fallen into the trap of fighting FROM correctness instead of fighting FROM love. They were operating like victorious soldiers who had forgotten why they enlisted.

The Perverse Incentive Trap

This pattern mirrors a story as old as time. Perverse incentives have killed countless businesses. Early success breeds momentum and recognition. But somewhere along the way, they forget why they started and abandon their original mission to chase metrics instead of meaning.

The same thing happens to believers. We start with genuine love for Christ—the wonder of grace, the gratitude for forgiveness. But gradually, we shift from "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) to performance-based Christianity. We trade inheritance for effort, sonship for slavery.

We begin measuring success by how much we're making instead of how much we're giving. Growth becomes self-serving rather than God-glorifying. We become more concerned with building our spiritual resume than building His kingdom.

Operating From Victory

Here's what changes everything: Christ's victory means you already possess what you're striving to achieve. The indwelling Holy Spirit isn't waiting for you to get your act together—He's the one getting your act together. Your spiritual freedom isn't a reward for good behavior; it's the foundation that enables good behavior to flourish.

When you truly grasp this—when you operate from the security of Christ's accomplished work rather than the insecurity of your performance—everything changes. Your prayer shifts from begging to thanking, from striving to resting. Your Scripture reading changes from "What must I do?" to "What has He done?" Your service motivation comes under examination: are you serving to earn God's favor or expressing gratitude for favor already received?

You hate what He hates because you first love what He loves. You pursue holiness from a spirit of gratitude, not guilt. You serve from overflow, not obligation.

Remember the joy of your salvation—that moment when you first understood what Christ had done for you. That wasn't the beginning of your effort; it was the celebration of His accomplishment. To be a city built up on a hill, we must first do the first thing: love Him because He first loved us.

Biblical Examples of Fighting From Victory

Scripture is filled with examples of God's people operating from this secure position. David didn't approach Goliath, hoping God would show up—he ran toward the giant, knowing God had already been there. His confidence wasn't in his sling; it was in his God, who had already proven faithful against the lion and the bear.

Joshua at Jericho understood this principle. The victory was accomplished before the marching began. God told him, "I have given Jericho into your hands"—past tense. The walls fell because the battle was already won.

Even Paul, writing from a Roman prison, demonstrated this truth. His letters overflow with joy, not because his circumstances were comfortable but because his freedom wasn't circumstantial. He fought for the security of his position in Christ, not for his own sake.

The Struggle Is Real

Let's be honest: making this shift from fighting FOR victory to battle for victory isn't easy. We're wired for performance. We default to earning. The world teaches us that nothing worthwhile is free of charge.

However, here's the encouragement: if you're struggling with performance-based Christianity, that struggle itself proves that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life. Only living hearts can feel conviction. Only those who are truly alive in Christ sense the tension between grace and works.

Recognizing the pattern is the first step toward breaking it.

Your Final Orders

This week, stop fighting for what you already possess. Scripture reminds us, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). This isn't a question about possibility—it's a declaration of impossibility. When you fight for Christ's victory, the outcome is never in doubt.

Here are your tactical exercises: Before you pray this week, remind yourself: "I am already accepted." Before you serve, declare: "I serve from overflow, not obligation." When you catch yourself slipping back into performance mode, stop and declare: "I am not fighting for acceptance—I fight from acceptance."

Rest in the victory Christ secured. Let that security transform your service from striving to gratitude, from effort to overflow, from making more to giving more.

The enemy wants you exhausted by battles that are already won. Christ wants you energized by victories already secured.

Stand in your freedom. Fight for your victory. Love from His love.

The battle is finished. Now, live like it.