“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us so that we could experience the Father’s love. His victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness is proclaimed when we love as He does. The aroma or fragrance of His triumph is spread when His love is proclaimed and lived out among His people. To love like Christ is to actively resist the insurrection of the devil’s agents, demonstrating the power of His victory. Just as a conquering general establishes peace by quelling rebellion, we enforce Christ’s triumph by walking in His love, overcoming evil with good, and spreading the knowledge of Him throughout the world.
The deepest longing of every human heart is to be loved. That is why God is love. Love is what reconciles us to Him, transforms us, and empowers us to walk in victory. I shared a story about my auntie during my teaching on Sunday.. She was strong-willed, vocal, and confrontational—always pointing out faults and asserting her dominance. Naturally, people kept their distance from her. But everything changed when she fell ill. She received an outpouring of love through kind messages and support. I don’t think she had ever truly felt loved before that moment. When she recovered, she was a different person. Love had changed her.
This is what love does. It softens hearts, heals wounds, and draws people together. It is so much easier to say that we love from a distance, but real love is intimate, requiring sacrifice. Jesus knew all of our flaws, every sin, every failure-and yet He died for us. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.
Paul likens Christ’s triumph over sin and death to the triumphal procession of a Roman general. In ancient Rome, after a successful war, the victorious general would parade through the streets with his army, showing off his defeated enemies as captives and burning incense in celebration. The general procession does two things: it shows the victory of the general empowering his army to take possession of territories and plunders of war. Secondly, it quell insurrection. But the best of all, according to Paul in Colossians 2:15, is that “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He (Christ) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” On the cross, Jesus had defeated sin and death and all the powers of darkness. The resurrection was the victory parade where Jesus declared to the world the utter defeat of Satan. And now, as His followers, we march in His victory procession, spreading the fragrance of His triumph. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere” 2 Corinthians 2:14.
What is the aroma of Christ? Love. Every time we choose to love-even when it’s hard, even when it’s undeserved, even when it costs us something-we spread the fragrance of His victory. When we forgive instead of holding a grudge, we proclaim His triumph over sin. When we show kindness to those who mistreat us, we proclaim His victory over hate. When we care for the broken and the lonely, we proclaim His love to a hurting world. Just as my auntie was transformed by love, so the world can be changed when we love as Christ does. Paul gives us the strategy for enforcing Christ’s victory: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” Romans 12:21. The enemy wishes to spread darkness, division, and hate; love destroys his plans. Jesus did not conquer Satan with blows or force—He conquered Him with love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. In the cross, Jesus prayed for His enemies, saying, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
This is our calling as His followers. When we respond to hatred with love, to insults with blessing, and to sin with grace, we enforce Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness. When we love like Christ, the enemy is silenced, hearts are transformed, and Christ is glorified. His victory is not just a message—it is a movement, spreading from heart to heart, nation to nation, generation to generation.
If Christ’s victory is proclaimed through love, then love must become our lifestyle. Love your family with patience and kindness. Forgive those who have wronged you. Show kindness to strangers and the rejected. Speak words of encouragement instead of criticism. Serve others selflessly, just as Christ served us.
As we walk in this love, we are not just talking about Christ’s victory—we are enforcing it. We spread the fragrance of His triumph, making His love known to the world. Paul’s imagery of the triumphal procession reminds us that we carry the fragrance of Christ’s love. Wherever we go, we leave behind a scent—not of judgment or condemnation, but of grace, mercy, and love. Will you choose to love like Christ today? As we love, we proclaim His victory. As we forgive, we silence the enemy. As we serve, we advance His kingdom. Let us march in Christ’s triumphal procession, spreading His love and making His victory known to all.
Author
kay.alli@legalview.co.uk