This is a third appearance of the victorious saints.

Paul spoke to the saints in Galatia. They had been saved. They had received the Holy Spirit, according to Paul's statements to them.

Now Paul was in travail that Christ might be formed in them.

We know that we receive a portion of Christ when we first are saved. But evidently having Christ formed in us is a process requiring effort on the part of the ministry over a period of time.

How did Paul know Christ had not been formed in the Galatians? Because they were accepting the teaching of the Judaizers that in order to be saved they had to be circumcised. When Christ has been formed in us we are not that easily deceived.

The Book of Isaiah tells us that as soon as Zion travails she brings forth her children and a nation will be born at once. Micah also speaks of the travail that will take place in the last days.

It is happening today. It has taken two thousand years to bring us to the point that God is ready to bring forth Christ in the Church.

The single most important aspect of what is taking place today in the Kingdom of God is the travail of the believers to bring forth Christ.

You will find that you have a burden in your personality. You still may be torn between your life in the world and the Kingdom of God. As you struggle in prayer and determination there will come a point at which you break through.

I don't know how else to describe it you break through!

After that it is easier to maintain your position of victory in Christ. Prior to this breaking through it was a constant struggle to assert your determination to do God's will and only God's will.

When you get close enough to God you begin to fall toward God instead of back toward the earth.

There still are many battles to be fought and we still can be led astray by deception. But it is different now. We are on top looking down. If we keep praying, keep committing ourselves to the Lord, we can maintain perfect victory in Christ.

The sensation of "praying through" comes because Christ has been formed in us to the place where He has been able to break through to God's throne. Christ is the Ruler of the ages to come and He has fought through in you to perfect victory.

This is not to say the battle is over. It assuredly is not. But, as we have said, it is now a case of maintaining victory instead of gaining victory.

What a force, what a power enters our personality when we once and for all determine that Christ shall rule in us. We pass from the ranks of the spiritual adolescents to membership in the army of the Lord.

Satan is standing before you to devour the Child as soon as He is born in you. But God will not permit this. He is Christ the Son of the Living God and His place is with His Father on the Throne that governs all things.

Satan could not care less about the religious activities of the churches. But all Hell trembles at the thought of Christ being formed in a believer.

How many believers struggle endlessly to overcome a multitude of sins?

Be patient. Don't quit. Don't despair. Be faithful to God and the moment will come when all of a sudden praise will fill your heart. You will know that God has heard you. The bells will begin ringing: "Well done, well done, well done my servant; well done, well done, well done my son. Well done, well done, well done my servant, well done, well done, you have overcome."

You have passed from Pentecost to Tabernacles, from the sixtyfold to the hundredfold. You have passed from the called to the chosen to the faithful.

No weapon formed against you will be effective. From now on your righteousness is of the Lord.

Truly, in the day we seek Him with all our heart He will be found of us.

The victorious saints are mentioned soon after as those who keep God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus. Satan always wars against such. It is they who represent a terrible threat to his kingdom.

When we have the testimony of Jesus but do not keep God's commandments we cannot do much damage to the kingdom of Satan. We do not incur his wrath to the same extent.

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17)

To be continued.