Law of Victory

Leaders find a way for the team to win.

Key Concept

• Leaders find a way - sometimes at brutal cost, sometimes by creative faith.

• Hub: 21 Laws of Leadership in the Bible - lesson 15 of twenty-one Bible laws; horizontal frame in Leadership.

• When violated: You accept defeat early and the loss becomes culture. See Settling for Loss.

• Victory at a Cost - Blinded Samson pushed the pillars. He found a way for the people to win at the cost of everything he had left - leaders hunt a path to the win.

{{< bible ref="Judges 16:1, 16:15-31" >}}

Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her.Judges 16:1 NASB1995

• Jonathan Initiates the Battle - Climbed the cliff with his armor-bearer. One man's faith triggered national victory when the camp stalled - find a way, then the team follows.

{{< bible ref="1 Samuel 14:1-23" >}}

Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp crag on the one side and a sharp crag on the other side, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The one crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba. Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.” His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire.” Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you'; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hands; and this shall be the sign to us.” When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, “Behold, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” So the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, “Come up to us and we will tell you something.” And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hands of Israel.” Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him. That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. Now Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there. Saul said to the people who were with him, “Number now and see who has gone from us.” And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel. While Saul talked to the priest, the commotion in the camp of the Philistines continued and increased; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also pursued them closely in the battle. So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle spread beyond Beth-aven.1 Samuel 14:1-23 NASB1995

• Finding a Way - Four friends tore the roof when the door failed. Victory is the path you invent so the team reaches what matters.

{{< bible ref="Mark 2:1-12" >}}

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” -He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”Mark 2:1-12 NASB1995

Level 1 - Recognize

Leaders accept responsibility for finding a path to win for the team.

Level 2 - Explain

Samson's death toppled Philistines; Jonathan's climb sparked a rout; four friends tore a roof for healing - flawed people still cleared the path.

Level 3 - Use

Define winning for the team in one sentence, then remove one blocker they cannot clear alone.

Level 4 - Connect

Victory is not comfort - it is clearing the path even when the cost lands on the leader first; comfort-first leadership stalls the team.

Level 5 - Create

Extend victory past the highlight reel with Finish Strong and Steward After the Win.

Examples

• We missed the deadline until someone rerouted testing to parallel lanes - glad leadership was the workaround, not the speech.
• Friends lowered the paralytic through the roof - victory looked like vandalism for a minute.

Note Relationships