by Wayne Burger

(August 1990)

Each baseball season teams battle for the pennant. A pennant is a banner that proclaims
“Victory!” Long ago Israel won a great victory and “Moses built an altar and named it The Lord
(Yahweh) is My Banner” (Exodus 17:15). This definitely was a victory won by Yahweh. Joshua
led Israel’s armies against Amalek while Moses, Aaron, and Hur watched from the mountain.

“So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand
down, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). Moses sat on a stone, “and Aaron and Hur supported
his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus, his hands were steady until the sun set”
(Exodus 17:12). And the victory was won.
Yahweh is always our banner of victory! David acknowledged that in his prayer when the
materials were gathered for Solomon to build the temple. David said, “Yours, O Lord, is the
greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty” (I Chronicles 29:11).       
  
Jesus, who is Yahweh, came to earth to be our banner of victory. When Jesus healed the man
with the withered hand, the Pharisees made plans to destroy Him (Matthew 12:9-14). He was not
upset with the rejection, rather He went about fulfilling Isaiah 42 as it is recorded in Matthew 12.
Jesus pleased the soul of His heavenly Father (Matthew 12:18). Although Jesus was mistreated,
He did not complain (Matthew 12:19). He dealt gently with those who were hurting—those
barely alive spiritually until He led “justice to victory” (Matthew 12:20). He became our banner
of victory over sin, Satan, and self.
Jesus is our banner over sin. The strength of sin had such a hold on us that we could not
overcome it. Our debt was too great to pay, but Jesus paid it. “We have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for
ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (I John 2:1-2). Jesus is our banner over
sin—our victory over sin. When we are baptized into Jesus Christ our sins are washed away so
that we are forgiven (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Jesus is our banner over Satan. Satan had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14), but Jesus died
and went into the Hadean realm where, figuratively speaking, Satan held captive the souls of
men. But, on that resurrection morning Jesus burst the bars of death and set free the souls who
had been held captive (Ephesians 4:8). In Colossians, Paul described it this way: “He disarmed
the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them
through Him” (Colossians 2:15). There, He became the banner of victory over death. Jesus had
foretold this when He said, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18).
Satan’s fall from heaven was not his origin, but figurative language for the loss of his power over
death. Jesus is the banner of victory over death!
Jesus is our banner over self. Long ago Jeremiah spoke an eternal truth. “I know, O Lord,
that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah
10:23). For that reason, we need to die to self and live for Jesus. Jesus described this by speaking
of us as wheat. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it
remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates
his life in this world will keep it to life eternal” (John 12:24-25). Paul explained that idea in these
words: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified
the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).
The banner over us is love. Jesus gave us these victories because He loved us. We can say as
Solomon’s lover said, “He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is
love” (Song of Solomon 2:4).
Conclusion
John reminds us how we receive the victories Jesus wants to give us. He said, “For whatever
is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our

faith” (I John 5:4). Has your faith led you to be born of God? That happens when you are born
into His family by the work of the Holy Spirit and the water of baptism (John 3:1-8). Is Jesus
your banner of victory? If not, why not?

wayne@rockymountainchristian@gmail,com