A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original review appears below. Roma E. Bryant attends St Paul’s Church in Ottawa.
Victory over the Darkness, by Neil T. Anderson, Ventura CA: Regal Books, 1990.
Do you sometimes feel hemmed in by the world? By the flesh? By the devil? Do you sometimes feel this so strongly that you begin to wonder about your Christianity? Do you sometimes fear that you will never be all that God has called you to be?
Neil Anderson, in this wonderful book Victory over the Darkness shares with us his own great hope for more victorious living. To quote him, “Your maturity is the product of time, pressure, trials, tribulations, the knowledge of God’s word, and understanding of who you are in Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. You probably already have the first four elements in abundance. Let me add some generous doses of the last three ingredients. Stir them together well, and watch yourself begin to grow.’’
Christians can certainly benefit from the disciplining of others, but ultimately every Christian is responsible for his or her own maturity and freedom in Christ. Nobody can make you grow. That’s your decision and daily responsibility. Nobody can solve your problems. That’s a process you must initiate and follow through with.
Thankfully none of us walks alone. The indwelling Christ is eagerly willing to walk with us each step of the way. You must learn who you are in Christ. You will learn how to walk by the Spirit and be sensitive to his leading. You will be made aware of the deceptions of Satan and the important battle that is ever in progress for control of your mind. This has to be faced, regardless of how much the Christian of today has been conditioned to ignore it.
The first half of the book lays a firm doctrinal foundation, and defines terms necessary for understanding the more practical chapters which follow. You have to know what you believe before you can understand what to do. Sadly, there are a lot of Christians going nowhere. They are committed to serve Christ, but are immature, defeated and deceived. Their lives are unfruitful and they feel hopeless.
Here’s an example of a weak identity in Christ. A Christian young woman goes for some counselling. She is asked “Who are you?” She replies, “I am evil.” “You’re not evil. How can a child of God be evil?” Now she may have done some evil things, but she, herself was not evil. She was not basing her identity as a child of God.
This is primary, because many of us have been tricked into believing that what we do is what we are. To see myself as insecure, fearful, inferior etc. is an affront to God. My relationship with God was forever settled when I accepted Christ and was born into his family. I can disrupt the harmony of my relationship — but my relationship — never!
So it is very important that we perceive this in a clear light. Neil Anderson encourages us to stand firm in the knowledge of who we are in Christ. Nothing or no-one can change that. Whether our walk is weak — God loves us. Whether our walk is strong — God loves us. What a confidence that should engender. Let us look at a few examples.
Do you feel inferior? To whom or what are you inferior? You are a child of God seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6). Insecure? Your God will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). Inadequate? You can do all things through Christ… (Phil. 4:13). Guilty? There is no condemnation… (Rom. 8:1).
Worried? Doubtful? All the answers are there. So what is blocking our growth? According to Paul we have a living, personal enemy — Satan — who is actively attempting to block our efforts to grow. Paul said to the Corinthians “We are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11), and perhaps they weren’t, but a lot of Christians today surely are. We live as though Satan and his dark realm doesn’t exist. Our naivete is exacting a crippling toll from our freedom in Christ.
Should I write more on this book? Should I write less? What I have given you is merely a tid-bit — an hors d’oeuvre so to speak, of the great feast of realizing your true identity in Christ and the confidence and freedom it provides — not to mention the power. Ah, the power.
Read the book; it added a whole new dimension to my life. I pray it will do the same for yours.
Reviewer’s footnote:
Years ago, when my son was a youth, he often spoke of sensing that tremendous power could be ours. I never quite realized how to tap into it. I was like many others, struggling but floundering.
Today, I know, that with Christ, I have power over the prince of this world. What an exhilarating thought. I am reaping its benefits.
This awareness has been but one of the messages this book has brought to me.