A Victorious Mindset vs. A Defeated Mindset: Winning Life’s Battles God’s Way

I’m a Football Mom…

If you’ve ever been to a Friday night game under the stadium lights, you know there’s more to football than just throwing a ball and running plays. As a football mom, I’ve watched countless hours of planning, preparation, and strategy unfold. Teams spend days studying their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. They know the playbook front to back—some so thick it looks like an encyclopedia!

One NFL coach famously said, “I never ask if a player has the will to win. I ask, ‘Does he have the will to prepare?’” Football intelligence—the ability to think ahead, adapt, and execute—is key. My son Nathan? He’s like a walking playbook, ready for anything.

And here’s where the parallel hit me: just as a football team gets suited up and strategizes before stepping onto the field, we too have a game plan for victory. But ours isn’t man-made—it’s God-given.

Our Strategic Plan: God’s Armor

Unlike football, where the team must fight for a win, our victory has already been secured. Jesus Christ has already conquered the ultimate opponent. Romans 8:37 (AMP) declares:

“In ALL things we are more than conquerors and gain an OVERWHELMING victory through Him who loves us.”

This isn’t just about getting to the other side of a problem. A victorious mindset knows that we have victory in the middle of the battle. Jesus didn’t just say, “You’ll win someday.” He handed us the victory on the cross for us right now—today.

Colossians 2:15 says:

“When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities… He made a public example of them… having triumphed over them through the cross.”

Jesus disarmed the enemy. That means the devil has no power over us—unless we let him. And just like in football, our equipment matters. Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full Armor of God, including the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

A helmet protects the head—our thoughts. The helmet of salvation keeps our minds anchored in who we are in Christ, safe from injury by the lies of the enemy. And the sword of the Spirit? That’s our weapon. But a sword doesn’t swing itself—we have to use it.

Point 1: Renew Your Mind Daily

Romans 12:2 (AMP) says:

“Be transformed and progressively changed… by the renewing of your mind… so that you may prove what the will of God is…”

Ephesians 4:23 tells us to be continually renewed in the spirit of our minds. This is daily work.

A defeated mindset says:

• “I’ll never get through this.”

• “There’s no way out.”

• “I’ll never be well.”

But a victorious mindset answers:

• Worry—with God’s promises.

• Disappointment—with God’s faithfulness.

• Rejection—with God’s acceptance.

  
  

You can’t out-think a bad thought. You have to replace it with the Word of God. That’s why I speak scripture out loud. When we speak His Word, we align with heaven’s truth, not the world’s circumstances.

Mark 11:23 reminds us:

“…whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed’… and does not doubt… will have whatever he says.”

Point 2: Obedience Brings Victory

Throughout the Bible, the Israelites won battles when they obeyed God’s instructions. Our victories also hinge on obedience.

1 John 5:3 says:

“For the [true] love of God is this: that we habitually keep His commandments… and His commandments… are not difficult [to obey].”

The enemy can’t read our minds—he can only see our actions. That’s why paying attention to what we give our attention to is so critical. When we think wrong, we believe wrong. When we believe wrong, we speak wrong—and that opens the door for defeat.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts because it determines the course of our lives. Like a gatekeeper, we decide what comes in. Philippians 4:8 gives us the filter: true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and praiseworthy.

Point 3: Praise Brings Victory

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced multiple armies. He was afraid—but instead of falling into defeat, he worshiped and praised God before, during, and after the battle. The result? Victory without even lifting a sword.

Paul and Silas praised God in prison, and the ground shook—chains broke, doors opened, and salvation came to a jailer’s family.

Sometimes victory doesn’t look the way we expect. But God sees the end from the beginning. He knows exactly what victory you need now to set you up for the victory you’ll need later.

Walking It Out Daily

Isaiah 33:21 says:

“The Lord will be our mighty one. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross.”

Habakkuk 3:19 says:

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”

We are called to live alert and sober-minded (1 Peter 5:8). The devil may prowl, but we resist him by standing firm in our faith.

An unrenewed mind argues with the Spirit. A renewed mind walks in step with Him. And when we are living in that place—obeying His Word, guarding our hearts, speaking His promises, and praising Him through it all—we become unstoppable.

1 John 5:4 declares:

“…everyone born of God… is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory… our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus].”

Final Challenge

What is it in your life right now where you need to see God’s victory?

Cover your mind with His truth. Use the sword of His Word. Speak scripture into the atmosphere. Praise Him in the valleys, praise Him on the mountaintops, praise Him in between.

Because you are not fighting for victory—you’re standing in victory ground. Jesus already won. Now it’s time to live like it.