Many people sing the old hymn “Faith Is the Victory.” We as true believers may wonder how this could be so because we know our faith is all too often weak and pitiful. Add to that the fact that so many have such a perverted view of faith.

They really have faith in their faith.

To many faith is no more than mental determination, positive thinking, or a blind leap in the dark.

But consider God’s Word concerning faith — “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

Here is faith that is truly the gift of God, faith that stands on solid evidence, and faith that has a proper object – the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption to save us from our sins — “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5).

The faith that God gives His people is never considered apart from its object – Christ and Him crucified. The victory is not found in our faith as if to say it is our effort and work to believe. That would be just as damning to the souls of sinners as claiming that our victory is our works. The reason we have victory in faith is because our faith looks to Christ who has gained the victory over sin, Satan, and the world by His obedience unto death. Faith causes us to look away from ourselves and to Christ for all righteousness and eternal life (Romans 10:4,10).

If my victory over the world were obtained by and founded upon my believing in and of itself, I would be a defeated failure. My victory over the world is obtained by and founded upon my great Savior. He is my faith; He is my victory.