Galatians 2:20. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
A victorious Christian life begins and ends with dying with Christ. Why is this truth so central?
Because without dying, there can be no true living. Jesus said plainly, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). In other words, the secret to life and fruitfulness lies in death—the death of our old self.
When Christ comes to dwell in us, our old frame must be torn down. Our wrong imprints must be replaced with the gospel. Our thoughts deeply rooted in the world must be renewed by the Word. Our sinful nature must be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
At the cross, Jesus carried it all—our sin, shame, failures, selfish ambitions, fears, and worldly attachments. They were nailed to the cross once and for all. To die with Christ means to surrender these completely, letting go of our own plans, our own will, and our own ambitions. As long as we cling to these things, the power of Christ cannot fully rest on us. We will continue to struggle in our own strength, become exhausted by trying to live the Christian life on our own, and ultimately carry out the devil’s desires.
But this was never God’s design. He did not call us to a religion of striving but to a relationship of surrender. This is why Paul declared with such conviction, “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). He knew that to live in Christ meant to die to himself—every day, in every circumstance.
Paul also came to understand the blessing that true strength is revealed in weakness: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). To the world, weakness is failure; but to God, weakness is the doorway to His strength.
Are you living under the weight of fear, failure, or discouragement? No matter how bleak your circumstances may appear, yield them to the power of Christ who lives in you. To walk with Christ is not to rely on your own strength but to trust Him alone in all situations.
He loved you more than you could ever love yourself. He willingly gave up the glory of heaven, humbled Himself, and died for you. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant… he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6–8).
Dying with Christ means your past no longer defines you. Your sins, shame, and failures were finished at the cross. Jesus declared on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). So, consider it finished, and live in the freedom He secured. Dying with Christ also means your present is no longer yours to control. You can trust Him to lead you through trials, hardships, and even storms. And dying with Christ means your future is already secure. You have eternal life, sealed by His Spirit, and nothing in heaven or on earth can snatch you out of His hand.
For this very reason, God’s Word calls us to “ run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1–2). To run this race, we must throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles. This is what it truly means to die with Christ.
But how do we die daily? How do we walk in this surrendered life? The answer is prayer. Not just occasional religious prayer, but a life that becomes 24-hour prayer. Prayer that is not limited to a quiet time in the morning but continues in every moment—listening to God, conversing with Him, aligning your heart with His Spirit’s leading.
Throughout the day, learn to surrender your stubborn will and allow His plans to unfold. Stop being driven by fear of failure or the opinions of others, and start being carried by the power of Christ who dwells in you. When you pray this way, your life becomes a vessel for world evangelization that saves lives.
So do not quit. Do not despair. Do not keep carrying what Christ has already nailed to the cross. Instead, embrace the life that flows from surrender. Yield to Him daily. Take up your cross and follow Him. As you do, you will discover the mystery of the Christian life: it is not you who live, but Christ who lives in you (Galatians 2:20). You will experience what Paul meant when he said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Prayer. Lord Jesus, thank You that I have been crucified with You. Teach me to die to myself daily, so that You may live fully in me. Help me to walk by faith in You alone, the one who loved me and gave Yourself for me. In Your precious name, Amen.