You made it. After 40 days of self-denial, sacrifice, prayer, and soul-deep reflection, you’ve reached the other side of your Lent victory devotion.
But this isn’t just the end of Lent, it’s the beginning of something powerful. You are no longer the one who barely held on. You are the one who overcame. The one who endured. The one who stands, not conquered, but crowned.
Like Shang-Chi, you may have started this journey feeling like an outsider—unsure, broken, or even hiding from your calling. But every battle you faced during Lent refined you. Every weakness exposed became an invitation to grow stronger.
Now, after all the struggle, you carry something you didn’t before: clarity, courage, and the heart of a champion.
This final blog post in the Lent series is your victory moment. We’re stepping into a scene of resurrection, redemption, and reward. Through the lens of Shang-Chi’s transformation, we’ll reflect on what it means to inherit strength from our struggle and how Jesus’ resurrection doesn’t just save us, it crowns us.
So get ready to rise. You’ve conquered the valley. Now it’s time to walk like a champion.
The Wilderness Wasn’t Wasted
“You are a product of all who came before you. The legacy of your family. The good and the bad.” – Ying Nan
The spiritual wilderness isn’t a place we eagerly run into. It’s not a dream vacation. It’s not a walk in the park with coffee and clouds. It’s rough. It’s quiet. It’s uncomfortable. And very often, it makes us want to quit before we’ve even started.
Let’s be honest. We’ve all said it in our hearts:
- I don’t want to do this.
- I just came out of a wilderness, now I’m going straight into another one.
- This is too much. I’ve had enough. I give up.
But here’s the truth: the wilderness is rarely comfortable, but it’s always critical. It’s where refinement happens. It’s where identity is shaped. It’s where champions are born.
Before every victory lies a wilderness, but God never wastes the waiting.
Think of your Lent journey like a long road to church. You don’t know what may happen between departure and destination. The weather could shift. Traffic might delay you. But your heart is set, you WILL arrive. The road, wild and unpredictable as it may be, becomes your wilderness. And God walks it with you.
Shang-Chi lived quietly, content with a low-profile life and a valet vest. But that comfort was a disguise. Deep inside, he was a warrior in waiting, called to greatness, yet hiding in plain sight.
Until the wilderness knocked on his door, literally.
He didn’t ask for the fight, but the fight came. Just like it came for you at the start of Lent.
You didn’t walk into this season fully armoured. You walked in questioning, seeking, uncertain. But somewhere along the way through fasting, prayer, reflection, and raw honesty God began shaping something new in you.
And just like Lawrence of Arabia, who turned back into the desert to save a life, you re-entered the wilderness for more than yourself. You went in with ordinary faith… and you’re coming out with something extraordinary.
The 40 days of Lent weren’t wasted. They were weighty. They mirrored the 40 days Jesus endured, and just like Shang-Chi trained in secret, so were you being prepared in silence, for something much louder than words.
From Cross to Crown
The Cross wasn’t the end, it was the path to the crown.
The crucifixion wasn’t a defeat, it was a doorway. What looked like the end was really a beginning. What the world saw as weakness, God used to showcase victory.
At face value, Jesus was just a man on a cross. But three days later, heaven roared and hell trembled.
On Good Friday, the world witnessed the outer transformation. But what they couldn’t see, what they never saw coming, was the inner transformation that had been in motion since the manger.
When the tomb opened, the truth exploded: this was never just a teacher, this WAS the Saviour of the world.
In the same way, Shang-Chi’s greatest battle wasn’t against monsters, magic, the Dweller in Darkness, or even his own father, it was the battle within.
He had to break the narrative that told him he was only what his past had made him. He had to step beyond pain, beyond fear, and become who he was always meant to be: the true Master of the Ten Rings.
Your Lent journey has mirrored that fight. You’ve wrestled with doubt. You’ve faced internal shadows. You’ve had to bury lies about who you were and rise into who you are.
And now, you stand in resurrection power.
This isn’t just the end of a 40-day stretch. This is your moment of emergence. Just as Jesus emerged in glory and Shang-Chi stepped into his rightful role, you have stepped into something greater.
The victory of Jesus is YOUR victory too.
And you’re not walking out of Lent the same way you walked in.
You’re walking out crowned.
The question now is no longer, “Can I make it?”
The question is, “Now that I’ve made it… who am I?”
Shang-Chi – The Warrior Who Reclaimed His Name
Shang-Chi was born with greatness in his blood, legacy in his bones, and destiny etched into the path before him. Trained to be a weapon for his father’s clan, he had the promise of power, but power misdirected can feel like a prison.
Sent on a mission of vengeance far too young, he succeeded, but success isn’t always the same as survival. The trauma chased him, and he fled, not just physically, but in identity. He became Shaun, hiding in plain sight, masking greatness with mediocrity, brilliance with banter.
“I thought I could change my name, start a new life… but I could never escape his shadow.” – Shang Chi
Isn’t that how some of us entered Lent? Still wearing masks, still living under labels placed on us by trauma, family, the past, or even ourselves. Maybe we weren’t Shaun, but we certainly weren’t walking in our full God-given name either.
Lent has a way of exposing the things we’d rather keep buried. The wrongs we committed. The apologies we avoided. The faith we neglected. The people we wrote off. The fears we dressed up as wisdom.
Isaiah 43:18 reminds us: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
The past is a place of reference, not residence. You are not who you were when Lent began. The wilderness stripped off the false labels, burned away the lies of the enemy, and silenced the harsh declarations you made over yourself.
Shang-Chi wasn’t just reclaiming the Ten Rings, he was reclaiming his name. His identity. His destiny. And you? You’ve been doing the same.
You’re not running anymore. You’re rising.
When the world tries to define you fight back and reclaim who you are
And as I said in my Helm’s Deep blog post, when it feels like the enemy is breaking through, you ‘Hold the Line’. Because when you do, reinforcements arrive. Hope rides in. Light breaks through.
So say it loud: “I AM a Child of God.”
This is where YOUR champion’s story takes flight.
When You Stop Running and Start Rising
In one of the most powerful moments of the film, Shang-Chi stands face-to-face with his greatest threat, not just his father, but the shadow of who he used to be. And he doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t run.
He rises.
Shang Chi: “I’m not afraid of you.”
Wenwu: “Yes you are.”
This wasn’t just physical bravery, it was spiritual defiance. He had been afraid. He had been ashamed. But not anymore. He wasn’t “Shaun” anymore. He wasn’t hiding behind karaoke nights and valet parking tickets.
He was Shang-Chi. Bold. Brave. Becoming.
That is you NOW. You’ve faced the whispers. The spiritual Sephiroths, the voices that try to manipulate, condemn, and twist your worth. They came for you during Lent. But instead of retreating, you responded with fasting, prayer, faith, and fire. You stood in your vulnerability and that was your victory.
The things you once avoided? You stared them down. The pain you buried? You brought it to God. The old self? You laid it down. And what rose in its place is someone transformed.
You’re not just surviving Lent, you’ve conquered it.
You can run from the past, or rise into your calling. The light breaks when you choose to stand.
You are NOT the same.
You are NOT defeated.
You are NOT afraid.
You are:
- An Overcomer
- A Conqueror
- A Vindicator
- A Victor
And the best part? You’re only just getting started.
You’ve faced the past. You’ve fought the fear. You’ve reclaimed your name.
Now it’s time to wear what God has given you, your strength, your growth, your crown and walk boldly into your reward.
Wielding the Rings with Redemption
“I told my men they wouldn’t be able to kill you if they tried. Glad I was right.” – Wenwu
The words of a father who acknowledges the capabilities of his own child, but is said in a twisted fatherly manner.
Wenwu used the Ten Rings as weapons. Tools of domination. Symbols of fear and force. He abused a great gift to solidify his place in a world that craved power and he paid the price. The very legacy he built began to fracture the family he claimed to protect.
But when Shang-Chi faced his father in battle, something shifted.
Mid-fight, half of the rings answered to him. The energy, the inheritance, what once belonged to the old was now drawn toward the new.
By the end, all ten had fallen into Shang-Chi’s control.
He could have used them to destroy Wenwu. He had every right, every opportunity, instead, he let them fall to the ground.
That wasn’t weakness. That was redemption.
It was the moment he refused to become the very thing he was fighting. He didn’t strike down his father out of vengeance. He rose above vengeance. He broke the cycle. He chose mercy.
That, my friend, is the power of the resurrection spirit working through us.
- Jesus had all power in His hands, yet He chose a cross.
- He could have called down angels, yet He chose to forgive.
- He was not defined by wrath, but bygrace.
Shang-Chi didn’t just prove he could carry the rings—he proved he was worthy to. Not because of brute strength, but because of his heart. Because he would use what was once abused to now heal, protect, and inspire.
Redemption isn’t about proving others wrong. It’s not about vengeance.
It’s about rising above.
It’s about letting God rewrite your story.
Yes, even your enemies, like Wenwu, may carry a twisted kind of respect for your strength. Not just the strength to fight, but the strength to forgive.
Even the enemy knows, he couldn’t take you out.
You’re still standing. Still rising. Still wielding.
Jesus’ resurrection is your proof. Death couldn’t hold Him, and now, because He lives in you, absolutely NOTHING can stop what God is doing through you.
What tried to define you no longer has a hold on you.
The old labels are broken. The lies are silenced.
You are not a prisoner of your past, you are a wielder of divine inheritance.
So go ahead.
Wield your rings. Rise up and walk boldly. Your journey is the light someone else needs to see.
More Than a Conqueror
The cross was never the end, it was the beginning of the greatest victory ever won.
“A blood debt has to be paid by blood.” – Wenwu
That line from Wenwu is chilling and yet, strangely familiar.
Because it’s true.
A blood debt WAS paid…
- on a rugged cross
- on a hill called Calvary
- by the sinless Son of God who bore the weight of the world.
But unlike any other sacrifice, Jesus didn’t stay buried.
He rose with glory, with power, with finality and in that resurrection, the debt wasn’t just settled.
It was erased.
Shang-Chi echoes this truth in his own journey.
After being knocked into the lake left seemingly lifeless by his own father, he’s revived by the Great Protector, a majestic dragon of supernatural power who rises from the depths.
Sound familiar?
What pulled Shang-Chi out of the depths wasn’t human strength, it was something greater.
What brought him back into the battle wasn’t revenge, it was resurrection.
Mounted on the Great Protector’s back, Shang-Chi re-enters the fight, stronger, more focused, fully aware of who he is. His father can no longer overpower him. The Dweller in Darkness can no longer intimidate him. And death? It no longer has a say.
Neither does it for you.
Through Jesus, you are more than a conqueror.
Not because you fought perfectly, but because you didn’t quit.
Not because you always felt strong, but because grace carried you.
Not because the battle never came, but because you kept rising through it.
Shang-Chi’s rise wasn’t just for himself, it was for everyone he would protect from that moment forward.
Your rise isn’t just for you either.
It’s for the people you’ll pray for.
The hearts you’ll encourage.
The faith you’ll strengthen.
The legacy you’ll leave.
You’re not just out of the wilderness.
You’re not just through the fight.
You’re not just redeemed.
You are more than a conqueror.
The world needs what you now carry.
It’s time to walk in it.
It’s time to rise like a champion.
This world DOES need YOU and your faith.
Wear Your Rings. Walk in Your Reward
IT IS TIME.
Time to wear your rings.
Time to embrace everything God has awakened in you during Lent.
Time to step into your calling, your purpose, your dreams, your new story.
You’ve conquered the wilderness. You’ve come through the battle. You are standing now in resurrection light. And the time has come to stop hiding and start shining.
Shang-Chi doesn’t run anymore. He doesn’t shrink. He doesn’t downplay who he is.
And neither should you.
When Katy tells him: “You can’t outrun who you really are.” it’s a truth bomb we all need. Because the anointing on your life, the gifts inside you, and the favour over you, you can’t outrun them. You can delay them. You can distract yourself from them. But eventually, destiny catches up with you.
And you? You’ve just stepped into it.
T’Challa understood this too. He didn’t just wear a suit, he wore a legacy. In Black Panther, he rose not just as a king, but as a son and a servant. He bore the weight of generational pain, injustice, and expectation, but he transformed it.
He chose redemption over revenge.
Healing over hatred.
Hope over fear.
Shang-Chi and T’Challa inherited power wrapped in pain, but they didn’t let pain define them. They let purpose refine them.
That’s what Lent has done in you.
You might still bear the marks of what you’ve walked through, but now you wear them like rings forged in fire. Like vibranium etched with sacrifice.
You’re not the same person who began this journey. You’re stronger. Wiser. Braver. You’re stepping forward not just with power, but with purpose.
Be proud. Celebrate your victory.
It’s easy to downplay what you’ve survived, but don’t.
God has placed something royal in you.
Wear your rings. Walk in your reward.
Not with hesitation, but with boldness.
Your rings aren’t just ornaments. They’re a crowning achievement, the symbol of everything God has done in you.
Don’t conceal them. Let them shine.
And let yourself shine too.
This is Just the Beginning
Just because Lent is over doesn’t mean the journey is.
You’ve made it through the fire. You’ve walked out of the tomb.
But this isn’t a conclusion, it’s a commission.
The resurrection didn’t mark the end. It launched a movement.
You still wear your victory, but now, you walk forward to build on it.
This is not the finish line. This is the starting gate of the Kingdom.
God has entrusted you with something far greater than comfort, He’s entrusted you with calling. There are souls to reach. Dreams to revive. Ministries to ignite.
There’s a world that needs what you’ve just received.
But DON’T skip the celebration.
Pause and praise.
Your victory matters. Your growth matters.
But remember, this victory is also a foundation. A launchpad. A holy beginning.
Shang-Chi may have defeated the Dweller-in-Darkness, claimed the Ten Rings, and stood in his new identity, but it was clear: he had only scratched the surface.
When Wong looks at him and says, “We have a lot of work to do.” it’s a reminder that victory isn’t just about what’s behind, it’s about what’s ahead.
Lent was preparation. Easter is power.
And now, your adventure begins.
So if you’re wondering, What now?, let me tell you: Go forward in faith.
Your dreams? They’re not dead, they’re just waking up.
Your hope? It’s not over, it’s rising.
Your story? It’s not closing, it’s turning the page to a brand-new chapter.
Every single one of you are now part of something bigger.
Look forward. Lean in. Step up.
Because everything you’ve walked through was preparing you for what you’re about to walk into.
The journey was hard, but the bloom proves it was worth it. Now, the story begins.
Victory Declaration
I am not the conquered.
I am the conqueror.
I have faced the fire,
and I have emerged with light in my hands and legacy in my heart.
The rings I wear are not shackles from my past,
but symbols of purpose forged in trial.
I am no longer the child who ran.
I am the warrior who returned.
I do not fight in shame, I rise in glory.
My name is written in Heaven.
My scars are proof that I did not quit.
The blood of Jesus has covered me.
The breath of the Spirit empowers me.
And the fire of God surrounds me.
I am chosen. I am crowned. I am called.
This is not the end.
This is the beginning.
In Jesus name,
Amen
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