Will to Win…And You Will!!: Power to Live a Victorious Life

By Francis Agbo

You are born to win, overcome or reign in this life. However to win you must learn how to win. Life will throw challenges, obstacles, difficulties, and opposition at you. Yet in all that life will throw at you, you can and will emerge victorious if you know what to do to win and do it. God’s will for you is to win and that is why you were born a victor, not a victim. You are born to win in life always and in all things. If you practice the laws or principles for living a victorious life, winning will become a habit for you. God the Creator of everything has given us time-tested and infallible principles in His word to help His creation live an all round victorious life. In the book Will to win… and you will, you will learn how to win so that winning becomes a habit for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664157699

Francis Agbo

Francis Agbo is a pastor, teacher, author, and life coach. His God-given mission in life is to teach the ways of God that people might be healed and experience the abundant life God planned for them. He has a passion to motivate and teach people of all ages and backgrounds to live for God, live out their God-given purpose, live successfully, and ultimately, achieve greatness. He is the author of the book “From Zeroooo to Hero: Life lessons from Ruth the Moabitess” and also publishes a daily devotional called Born to Reign. He is resident pastor at the International Praise Church Abuja in Nigeria and is married to Tosin, and together they are blessed with three wonderful children, Kezia (12), Nathan (10), and Eden (2).

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Copyright © 2021 by Francis Agbo.

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Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament copyright © 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified Bible, New Testament copyright © 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked as (CEV) are taken from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

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Rev. date: 02/24/2021

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Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Website.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Website

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation — Second Edition. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version, Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgment

BORN TO WIN

Introduction

Life has challenges

Life also has victories

You are born to win

Learn to win

Win always! Always win!

Profile of a winner

Born of God

Anointed of God

Confident

Determined

Importance of winning

Winning confirms or establishes God’s will

Winning gives God pleasure

Winning is sweet

Winning increases faith in God

Winning reveals God’s power and His potential in you

Winning glorifies God

Winning inspires others

WILL TO WIN

Develop a winning attitude

Decide (choose) to win

Think winning

Talk winning

Put on your armor

POWER TO WIN

Power to win

Dream to win

Plan to win

Work to win

FIGHT TO WIN

You can’t win without a fight

Fight the good fight

Armed and dangerous

… the name of Jesus on your lips

… authority in your hands

… humility in your heart

… with stones in your hands

… praise in your mouth

Fight these giants

Giant of intimidation

Giant of distraction

Giant of discouragement

YOU WILL WIN

Pay the price

Glory is around the corner

The storm is over

It is time to raise the roof

Winning is now a habit

The conclusion of the matter

Dedication

This book is dedicated to God Almighty who is my Maker, my Helper, and my Teacher. I love you, LORD. It is also dedicated to the whole tribe; Tosin, Kezia, Nathan, and Eden. I love you guys.

Acknowledgment

All glory, honor, and praise to my LORD and personal Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I am nothing and can do nothing. I give Him glory for all He has done and continues to do in my life. To the Holy Spirit, my teacher I say thank you sweet Spirit of God. You are indeed the Spirit of Truth.

To the great men and women who have impacted my life over the years, I will not fail to mention and appreciate. Bishop Fred Addo and Bishop Funbi Addo. You have impacted my life greatly. Thank you. Archbishop Calvin Antonza II Ph.D. and Bishop Edwin Musa Jarumai. God bless you sirs. I remain eternally grateful for space and the opportunity given me to discover and release the potential God deposited in me.

I have had supporters on the road to putting this book together. Lack of space will not permit me to mention everyone. I want to thank Steven Pembi who provided very valuable editing services. Thank you. To my wife and kids, you guys have been tremendous in supporting me in exercising the call of God upon my life. Words are never enough to express my appreciation to you. Still, I want to say thank you, guys. You guys are the best.

To God be the glory.

BORN TO WIN

Introduction

Life has challenges

Life has challenges, obstacles, troubles, trials, temptations, and storms. On earth, there is no such thing as a trouble-free life. ‘Happily, ever after’ is found only in storybooks or fiction novels. Am I saying it is not possible to be happy? Of course, it is possible. The idea of living ‘happily ever after’, as told in storybooks or people’s imagination means living a life free of trials, challenges, or opposition. A trouble-free life is not possible for those who are alive. A trouble-free life is found only in the grave. If you are reading this, you are not in the grave. Congratulations on being alive, but I hate to burst your bubble. There is no such thing as a trouble-free life or one in which you or anyone lives ‘happily ever after’ with no trials or challenges. You are alive my dear friend and so, you, like every other living person, are not immune to trouble or challenges. Everyone has or will have challenges, opposition, obstacles, difficulties, and the likes. Jesus Christ promised His followers that there will be trials, trouble, persecution, and opposition.

I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world, you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world. John 16:33 MSG

Christianity is not a vaccine that immunizes you from trouble.

Not funny, perhaps; still, it is the truth. He said you will continue to experience difficulties. The dead are the only ones who are free from trouble. Only dead people ‘live’ in a trouble-free zone. As long as you are alive and on earth, you will encounter trials and trouble. Both the righteous and the unrighteous face trouble. The rich and the poor will all face trouble(s). Having money does not spare you the troubles of this life. Both the young and the old have troubles. Trouble has no respect for age. The literate and the illiterate all encounter problems. Your college degrees may intimidate some but they do not intimidate and keep away trouble. The Christian and the non-Christian all face problems on earth. Christianity is not a vaccine that immunizes you from trouble. Some people are in the habit of asking God: ‘Why? Why me, LORD? I pray I give, I live holy and I go to church. Why am I going through these things? Why me, LORD?" God NEVER promised us that we would not have trials or that there will be no storms in life. The LORD said we will have troubles and problems. The word of God, in more places than one, did say (‘promise’ if you like) that there will be trouble on earth.

Our suffering isn’t caused by failure of crops. It’s all part of life; like sparks shooting skywards- Job 5:6-7 CEV

Trials are all a part of life, according to the word of God. So, stop debating with yourself and trying to figure out why you are going through your current phase. The Bible says that trouble is part of life. Whether you live unholy or holy, troubles are a part of life. Life has challenges. Yes, even the righteous of God have challenges in this life. Being a child of God does not exempt you from trouble. The word of God says that the righteous will encounter many troubles.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. - Psalm 34:19 KJV

In as much as it is tough accepting that trouble is a part of life, it is true. If it is in the word of God, it is so and it is true. Trouble happens to everyone, including the righteous. God loves the righteous but that doesn’t spare them from the trials of life. God loves his children but they will sometimes pass through trials in this life. Job was holy and feared God than most in his day, yet he encountered trouble. Hear what he had to say in Job 14:1 (KJV):

Man, that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

The saints of old all faced trouble. Trouble tried them, even though they were faithful, righteous, and loved God. Are you going through trouble? You are in good company. According to the Scriptures, everyone born of a woman is but of a few days, yet the days are full of trouble. Daniel faced trials; he was thrown into the lion’s den for daring to stand up for God and righteousness. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were passionate lovers of God and the truth; still, they went through the fire of affliction and trouble. They dared to stand for God, yet they got thrown into the fire. Joseph passed through all kinds of trials to get to the dream God gave him. The Bible describes these troubles as a trial of our faith. The faithful, with all their love for God, will be tried in the fire of affliction, trouble, persecution, and opposition.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. - 1 Peter 4:12 KJV

Your faith will be tested, so do not consider it strange that you are passing through your present test. Trials come to test the righteous. Your faith as a righteous person will be tested in the fire of life’s afflictions and pressures.

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. - Psalm 66: 10- 12 KJV

God will allow your faith in Him to be tested by permitting trials in your life. As faithful as you are, you will pass through affliction, pain, and frustration sometimes as you run the race of life. Again, the word of God says to consider it pure joy when faced with diverse temptations or trials.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. - James 1:2 KJV

The Amplified version of the same text reads:

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. – James 1:2 AMP

The Apostle was writing to Christians, for he called those he was writing to brethren. He encouraged them to be joyful when they are caught up in all kinds of trials and temptations. Temptations will come. Trials will try you. Dearly beloved of God, even Jesus had his share of suffering when He walked this earth as a man-God. Even though He was God in human flesh, He too went through trials and suffering while He walked this earth.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. - Hebrews 5:8 KJV

He was the beloved Son of God but He suffered or passed through some unpleasant things. Sons and daughters of God will pass through trials, temptations, and affliction. Jesus said so and, if Jesus said it, it must be so. His word is truth. Are you a son or a daughter of God? You will encounter trials in this life. Being a son or a daughter of God will not spare you the trials of this life. If Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, was not exempt from trouble, you, as an adopted son or daughter of God, will not be exempt from trials.

For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. - Hebrews 12:6 KJV

Jesus went through some suffering while He walked this earth as a man. Also, He told His disciples that they would also face trials and afflictions in this world. He told them that they would have trouble in the world.

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 KJV

In the world, you shall have tribulation (challenges, difficulties, opposition, trouble, trials). You shall have tribulation. He (Christ) is not a prophet of doom. He was speaking the truth. In the scripture above, the word of God says ye shall have tribulation.

I love the way the Amplified version of John 16:33 expands on the scripture:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but, be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.

Wow! The Bible speaks of troubles, trials, distress, and frustration. Challenges are real and real people have challenges in this life. You are not strange and nothing strange is happening to you. Trials, distress, tribulation, disappointments, opposition, and frustration will happen sometimes. However, this is just one side of the matter. Hear the other side. Life indeed has challenges but life also has victories and conquests. All the challenges of life are conquerable. There is no battle that life throws at you that you cannot overcome. You can triumph over life’s trials. Every opposition can be overcome if you know what to do. Battles, trials, and difficulties do not come to defeat you; rather, they come against you so that you can overcome them and win.

Life also has victories

When you win, we plan to raise the roof and lead the parade with our banners. May all your wishes come true! - Psalm 20:5 MSG

Yes, surely life has challenges, but, even more surely, life has triumphs, conquests, and victories. That there will be trials in life is only one side of the story. The other side of the story is that, in all these trials, we can overcome if we want to and if we know-how. Troubles come but they are surmountable. God never promised us that there will be no trouble. What He promised us is that we will triumph in every trouble if we trust Him. You can overcome every challenge that life throws at you. You cannot do anything to stop the challenges of this life but you can triumph over them all.

Read what Jesus Christ told His disciples in John 16:33 (Amplified version):

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world. (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you).

Be of good cheer, He says. I have overcome the world and deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you. He conquered for us, so [that] we can live in victory continually. I love Psalm 20:5 MSG. It says: When (not ‘if’) you win, we plan to raise the roof in celebration and jubilation. Winning for you is not an ’if’ thing; rather, it is a ‘when’ thing. It means that the size of the battle waged against you does not matter. Still, you will win if you do what it takes to do so. The battle against you may be bigger than you but you will win. You will triumph. You will overcome. Anything is possible with God. You are equipped or empowered to win in life. In God’s plan for your life, there is no provision for defeat or for you to be conquered. Yes, there will be occasional trouble, trials, distress, or frustration but you are covenanted to win. You are destined to win. You are positioned by God to win. The world will throw bricks of trouble at you but the world can’t beat or overcome you. Trouble will fight you but you are destined to win and will win.

Yes, there will be trouble. Yes, there will be trials. Yet, for every trouble, there is an even more sure promise of victory for the saints of God. In every trouble, God makes a way of escape and victory. Read God’s promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Trials will happen but, in every trial, God always makes a way of escape to give those who trust Him for victory. There is nothing you are passing through now that someone else has not passed through and overcame. You will overcome if you know-how. Believe that there is a way out because God’s word says that He always makes a way of escape. Trials will happen but triumph is possible in every trial. The word of God is our inspiration and encouragement. Whatever the word of God says we can do is what we ought to believe we can and will do. We are who the word of God says we are and we ought to believe it so that we can become it. In Romans 8:35, the Bible says that: "Despite all these things - the trials, frustrations, trouble, etc – overwhelming victory belongs to us. Trials will happen but in Christ victory over every trial is sure.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. – Romans 8:37 NLT.

In the King James Version of Romans 8:35, the word of God says: in these things, we are more than conquerors through Christ. Again, in John 16:33, Christ told His disciples to Rejoice… because even though they will face trouble in the world, they will overcome, because He has already overcome the world for their sake.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world. (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you).

There is nothing the world will bring against you that can beat or defeat you.

We are victors before the fight began because Christ has defeated Satan, sin, and the curse of sin. What the victors need now is to know what to do to live victoriously. There is nothing the world will bring against you that can beat or defeat you. You are fighting from a winning position and the opposition is fighting from a losing position. What you are called to do is enforce the victory God has obtained for you. God calls us "overcomers".

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. - 1 John 4:4 KJV

We are who the word of God says we are and we had better believe it. God said you are an overcomer. God does not and can never lie. If we are not experiencing what God planned for us, the problem is never with God. The problem must be with us. The believer in Christ is an overcomer. God made us overcomers and that is who we are.

Overcomers are winners and winning is what winners do. God calls you a winner. Accept it, believe it and you shall experience it. Trouble will come but trouble comes so that you might win because winning is what winners do – and you are a winner.

Christ has conquered satan, sin, and the world for the believer in Christ. You are not fighting any new battle; rather, you are, fighting by faith to establish or enforce the victory Christ already obtained for you. Christ defeated hell and gave us authority over hell. We are victors in this life. We can and should live victoriously because the enemy has been defeated and in Christ, we have authority over darkness and all the works of darkness.

Christ defeated hell and gave us authority over it..

And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:15 KJV

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. Ephesians 1:22 KJV

All things means all things. He (Christ) spoiled (disarmed, weakened, reduced, stripped them of power and authority) principalities and powers. He defeated hell. On the cross, Christ defeated hell and sin. He conquered Satan and hell. He obtained the victory for us and gave us authority over hell and its works. We are born anew as winners because He shed His blood on the cross for us. All things are under His (the church’s) feet. Christ is the head of the church. We are His body and, so, what the Head has dominion over, surely the rest of the body joined to the head automatically has dominion over too. He spoiled principalities and powers. He conquered hell for the church so that the church (the believer in Christ, not the physical building) might walk in victory. We are born to win. The Message translation of Psalm 20 reads: When you win, we plan to raise the roof and lead the parade with our banners. May all your wishes come true! - Psalm 20:5 MSG

Not ‘if’, but ‘when’ you win. You are born to win. You belong to a family of winners and you are a winner. Spiritually, you are of God. You belong in the class of God; a class of winners who win all the time, because winning is what winners do. Do not surrender to a life of defeat, frustration, average, and mediocrity. You are born to win. Stuff will happen to you and with you, but, in all these things, you are more than a conqueror- - victor, winner, or overcomer. Your life is not planned by God to be the ‘win some, lose some’ life. No! No! No! Win all, for that is what the word of God says. Your life is not supposed to be the ‘win some, lose some’ life. Rather, it should be about winning all. If the word of God says so, it is and must be so. I choose to believe so and it is so.

You are designed and destined by God to win always.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. - 2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV

God always causes us to triumph. Not ‘sometimes’ but always. There is no place in scripture where it says we are to win some and lose some. God causes us to triumph always. We do not win some and lose some; rather, we win all. We do not win sometimes; rather, we win all the time. Situations happen, but we win in all situations. Winning is what winners do and God has made you a winner. You are designed and destined by God to win always. We triumph over every trouble and trial. We conquer always. We win always. When (not ‘if’) you win. The believer in Christ is a winner. God made the believer a winner when Christ conquered Satan and sin. Perhaps, you have won some and lost some so far, but it is time to learn how to win and live a winning life all the days of your life. You thought it is so and you settled for such. Change has come. You are destined to win always. And you will win. When you win (because you are going to win) we will raise the roof in celebration. Learn to win and you will win or overcome every trouble or trial that life throws at you. Win always because you are born to win.

You are born to win

In the beginning, when God created humans, He gave them a command to dominate, to win! How do I know? I know so because the word of God says so. The believer in Christ needs to believe the word of God. Having what the word of God says depends on you believing what the word of God says. God empowered man to win and commanded man to win. God created man in His image. God blessed man and said to him dominate (rule, reign, subdue, bring under your power) the earth. Adam, the first man, was born a winner. God empowered man to win and commanded man to win.

God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Genesis 1:28 NIV

God commanded man to dominate.

God blessed man. He commanded man to subdue the earth! The word ‘subdue’ means ‘to overcome, quieten or bring under control’. God blessed man with total authority on the earth. God commanded man to overcome. It was a command, not a plea. To subdue means ‘to put under’. When you subdue, what you do is put something under your control. In the beginning, God created man to subdue the earth. Man was created (born) to overcome or bring everything on the earth under his control. God put man in charge of the earth and expected man to take charge of the earth. Subdue the whole earth was the command or mandate God gave to man in the beginning. Put under or bring under your control. That was what God commanded man to do.

"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ Genesis 1:28 NKJV

You are created a winner before you were born.

God gave man the authority to rule or dominate in the earth. God blessed man and commanded him to have dominion in the earth. God placed man in a winning position. God’s intention for man was for him to rule or dominate on all fronts. Subdue the earth. Win in every way and on all sides. Even science has shown that it is so. Science tells us that a fetus or embryo is formed when a single male sperm cell called ‘spermatozoa’ fertilizes a single female egg called ‘ovum’. It is estimated that semen from one adult human male contains more than 500 million sperm cells. After the semen leaves the body of the man, many of the sperm cells in the semen die almost immediately, with only about 200 reaching the female’s oviduct. Of these 200, only one sperm cell will eventually succeed in fertilizing the egg. Who said you are not a winner? See the odds you overcame to be born. One in 500 million. You came out a winner in a race that you were ‘running’ with 500 million persons. You are a winner before you were born. You are created a winner before you were born. You were born a winner. You are still a winner after you were born. All you need to do is learn how to win. Stop settling for less. Refuse to conform. Instead, be transformed in your mind and be who God created you to be. Refuse the tag ‘failure’, ‘loser’, or ‘average’. God calls you a ‘winner’. God created you a winner. You are born to win always. That’s your lot or portion. In the beginning, man was blessed to live a winning life, but, when he sinned all that changed. When man sinned, instead of subduing, he became subdued. Man sinned and lost the authority God gave him. Man had dominion,