The King Has One More Move

In the game of chess, the King is the most important piece. When he is surrounded with no escape, the game ends in checkmate. But what if that checkmate… isn’t the end?

A Painting and a Revelation

There’s a legendary painting once displayed in the Louvre Museum titled Checkmate. It shows a man playing chess against Satan. The man appears defeated, his head down, while Satan smiles, convinced the soul before him is lost.

Yet, when chess master Paul Morphy studied the board in the painting, he exclaimed, “The painting is wrong! The King still has one more move!”

Our Spiritual Battle

Each day, we face battles not just on a board but in our hearts and minds. We’re attacked by fear, doubt, temptation, and discouragement. The enemy moves, and we try to respond. But sometimes, we feel like it’s over. We’re cornered. Checkmate.

That’s when we must remember this eternal truth: Jesus Christ—our King—still has one more move.

The Master of Every Game

Jesus is the Master of strategy. He knows how to turn what looks like defeat into victory. Where the world sees endings, He sees beginnings. Where the devil sees ruin, He sees redemption.

Biblical Moments of Victory

• Five loaves and two fish? It looked like a hungry crowd would go unfed. But Jesus had one more move. Everyone ate—and twelve baskets were left over (John 6).
• Daniel in the lion’s den? It looked like the end. But God had one more move. Daniel emerged unharmed (Daniel 6).
• The adulterous woman? Surrounded by angry men with stones. But Jesus had one more move—“Let him without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8)
• The thief on the cross? He was moments from death. But Jesus had one more move—“Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23)
• On Good Friday? Jesus was crucified. The world thought it was over. But on Sunday morning, He rose. Our King defeated death. (Matthew 28)

Your Life Isn’t in Checkmate

Maybe you feel surrounded—by sin, shame, financial struggle, broken relationships, or despair. Maybe your country feels lost. Your family feels scattered. Your future feels empty.

But do not give up. The painting is a lie. Your King is not trapped. He’s just preparing His next move.

When you trust the Master, there is always a way out, always a path to victory, always one more move.

Stand Firm in Hope

“...He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by His stripes you were healed.”

You were bought with the blood of Christ. You are not forgotten. You are not defeated. Hope is alive because Jesus is alive.

Jesus Always Has One More Move

Let the world scheme. Let the enemy roar. Let fear knock. But stand firm in this truth: The game isn’t over until the King says it is.

And our King? He always has one more move.