"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18, KJV)
This is not a relic. This is the power of God.
Beloved, I am coming to you from a place of surrender.
I am not writing to the one who has never heard of the cross. I am writing to the one who has forgotten its power. I am writing to the one who has exchanged the ruggedness of the cross for the comfort of the world. I am writing to the one who has traded the blood-stained altar for a cushioned pew—and has lost the fire in the process.
If you are still standing in the fresh awe of your salvation, this word is a reminder. If you have grown cold, familiar, and numb to the cross—then hear me. This word is for you.
The Unmasking
The enemy does not attack the cross directly. He knows he cannot defeat it. Instead, he does something far more subtle: he makes it common. He makes it ordinary. He makes it background noise in a world full of distractions.
He whispers: "You've heard this before. You know this story. There's nothing new here."
And suddenly, the cross becomes a piece of jewelry. A symbol. A decoration. A song you sing without thinking. A verse you quote without feeling.
But the cross is not a symbol—it is a weapon. It is not a decoration, it is a doorway. It is not a relic, it is the power of God unto salvation.
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14, KJV)
The cross is where religion died and relationship was born. It is where the enemy's power was broken and our freedom was purchased. It is where the old, rugged tree became the throne of redemption.
The Cross is Not Cute—It is Costly
We have sanitized the cross. We have polished it, gold-plated it, hung it on walls and around necks. But the cross was not pretty. It was ugly. It was brutal. It was shameful. It was the instrument of execution for the worst criminals of the Roman Empire. Think about it!
And yet, on that rugged, splintered, blood-soaked tree—God chose to display His love.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
(Romans 5:8, KJV)
While we were still trapped in sin. While we were still bound by the enemy. While we were still lost, broken, and hopeless—Christ died for us. Not because we deserved it. Not because we earned it. But because He loved us.
That is the power of the cross.
The Cross is Not a Past Event—It is Present Power
The enemy wants you to believe that the cross is something that happened 2000 years ago—a historical event with no relevance to your daily struggles. But the cross is not just history, it is present power.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, KJV)
When you come to the cross, you don't just remember what Jesus did—you participate in it. Your old self is crucified with Him. Your sin is buried with Him. Your shame is nailed to that tree. And you are raised to new life in Him.
The cross is not just something you look at, it is something you live. It is the power that breaks addiction. It is the power that heals the brokenhearted. It is the power that sets captives free. It is the power that gives you authority over the enemy.
"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15, KJV)
At the cross, Jesus disarmed the enemy. He stripped him of his power. He made a public spectacle of him. He triumphed over him—completely.
So why are you still living like you are defeated?
The Cross is the Cure for Victimization
The cross destroys the spirit of victimization.
At the cross, Jesus was the ultimate victim—falsely accused, brutally beaten, unjustly executed. But He did not stay in victimhood. He overcame. He rose. He conquered.
And He says to you: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, KJV)
The cross declares that your suffering is not the final word. Your pain is not your identity. Your past is not your future. Because the cross is the turning point—where death becomes life, where shame becomes glory, where defeat becomes victory.
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8:37, KJV)
My Testimony – The Cross That Changed Everything
Let me tell you something personal.
There was a time when the cross was just a symbol to me. I had heard the story a thousand times. I sang the songs. I repeated the verses. But I had never truly encountered the power of the cross.
I was carrying wounds that the cross had already healed. I was carrying shame that the cross had already removed. I was carrying burdens that the cross had already lifted. I was trying to fight battles that the cross had already won.
But one day—in the middle of my struggle—I looked up at that old rugged cross and I realized: "It is finished."
Jesus had already done everything. He had already paid the price. He had already defeated the enemy. He had already secured my victory. The only thing left for me to do was walk in it.
So, I laid down my burdens at the foot of that cross. I stopped trying to earn what had already been given. I stopped fighting for what had already been won. And I walked in the freedom that the cross had already purchased for me.
And I am here to tell you: you can do the same.
How to Return to the Power of the Cross
First, remember.
Stop treating the cross as a distant historical event. Remember what He did for you. Meditate on His suffering. Contemplate His love. Let the reality of the cross sink deep into your spirit.
"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:23-24, KJV)
Second, repent.
If you have drifted from the cross, if you have traded its power for comfort, if you have grown cold—turn back. Repent. Come back to the cross. It is still there. Its power has not diminished.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, KJV)
Third, surrender.
The cross is not just something you believe—it is something you carry. Jesus said: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
(Luke 9:23, KJV)
Ø Surrender your will.
Ø Surrender your plans.
Ø Surrender your control.
Ø Pick up your cross—your cross of surrender, your cross of obedience, your cross of love—and follow Him.
Fourth, glory in the cross.
Stop glorying in your own accomplishments. Stop glorying in your own strength. Glory only in the cross of Jesus Christ—because it is the only thing that saves.
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14, KJV)
A Prayer for the Power of the Cross
Let us pray.
Father, I come before You in the name of Jesus. I thank You for the cross—that old, rugged cross that bore my sin, my shame, and my sorrow.
I ask You to renew my vision of the cross. Let me not treat it as a common thing. Let me not grow cold toward its power. Let me not forget what You did for me.
I lay down my burdens at the foot of the cross. I release my shame. I release my guilt. I release my fear. I release my offense. I release my unforgiveness. I release everything that has kept me from walking in the fullness of Your freedom.
I take up my cross and follow You. I deny myself. I surrender my will. I choose obedience. I choose love. I choose the narrow way.
Thank You, Jesus, for the cross. Thank You for the victory. Thank You for the freedom. I am not a victim, I am a victor. I am not defeated, I am more than a conqueror. I am not bound, I am free.
In Jesus' mighty name. Amen.
Final Charge
Stop looking for power in the world. Stop looking for answers in the empty things. Stop searching for freedom where there is no freedom.
Look to the old rugged cross.
It never loses its power. It never fails. It never fades. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And it is the only thing that can save, heal, deliver, and set you free.
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32, KJV)
Rise up. Return to the cross. Let its power renew you, restore you, and release you into your destiny. The world does not need another polished Christian—it needs people who have been ravaged by the cross and raised by its power.
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15, KJV)
Press forward. Preach the cross. Live the cross. And never let its power fade from your life.
Jesus Come, Lord Jesus Come,