The Thrill of Victory and The Agony of Defeat
There is nothing a young athlete strives more for than the “Thrill of Victory”. Long before ESPN, I will never forget the intro for ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Growing up this opening slogan was branded in your mind every time you heard someone speak of victory.
Epic trumpets sounded as they span the top of a mountain as legendary voice Howard Cosell drops a “Spanning the globe! To bring you the constant variety of sports!” As video flashes footage of a cliff diver and then a spinning ice skater, before showing a boxer being carried over their heads by the crowd as Howard beckons your attention as only his voice could do as he drops “The Thrill of Victory”, but in mid-sentence his tone dramatically shifts as does the background music as the video switches to a ski jumper crashing down the side of a mountain to the words, “and the Agony of Defeat”.
If you have never enjoyed hearing and watching this clip, then click here!
Times were not much different than today in the early 70’s with Vietnam, the Nixon scandal, and our country struggling with drugs, racism, feminism, and a sexual revolution. Of all the possible people to rise to popularity, came a rebel of sorts by the name of Evel Knievil, wearing the Stars and Stripes and riding a motor cycle. Someone both radical and patriotic. A true hero for the day. Click here for link to watch Evel in action.
Strength, courage, and taking life threatening risk appealed to all Americans as this daredevil called Evel lived through multiple agony of defeat crashes. I remember in 1973, near the end of his career at age 34, Evil jumps nearly 50 yards of crushed cars in the Los Angeles Coliseum before a packed stadium. The media began proclaiming him to be the last of the gladiators. I had Evel Knievel action figures, motorcycle, travel motor coach, and every other Evel toy I could ask my parents for at Christmas.
As a Christian kid, I remember struggling with having a hero that was a daredevil and had the name Evel, but after that jump that day he said the following words, “Every time I make a jump, no matter how far I go, I thank God that I am still alive.” A fearless warrior that we could see and cheer for.
I realized that day that Evel was a bit of an allusion. He was brave and courageous and one very cool guy, but once you got past the show business, he was a good man. He was just creating a superhero character that caused people to follow him. The good ole days when the Lone Ranger and Evel Knieval were the good guys, disguised as bad guys.
Today, the world seems once again turned upside down and what is evil people are calling good, and what is good people are calling evil. Sadly the world is full of allusions selling the thrill of victory. Now we face the Allusion of Victory where the media sells us that all police officers are bad and bad guys are disguised as good guys.
Movie stars, music artist, famous athletes, and politicians have become the voice of allusion as many promote wrong over right. Some claim openly to be possessed by demons and many are heavily involved in satanic rituals and witchcraft. Few model character, restraint, self discipline. Music sells sex, even rape and promiscuity.
Media and Hollywood now have the ability to pound the younger generations, many of which are fatherless, with social propaganda and filth selling their LGBTQ agenda. Their goal is to destroy what God’s created, the family and the Biblical definition of marriage. Remove the father and replace him with agenda.
They package these lies to look good and sell them as the thrill of victory. If we don’t take a stand as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, many lost people will suffer the real agony of defeat.
Jesus has already won the ultimate victory and those of us that have declared our faith in our King will reign forever with Him in Glory, but until then the war for souls rages on and we are called to fight the good fight! Yes we fight with love, but we also stand fearlessly and shamelessly for the commandments and principles of the Word of God.
We need to put on the full armor of God daily and walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Without Him moving and working daily in our lives, winning souls and protecting them form the enemy on earth will not happen. We were not made to live victoriously without the Holy Spirit.
It’s time arise warriors of the King’s army and fight the good fight! Fully empowered and dangerously possessed with the Holy Spirit!