The Christian life is synonymous with overcoming. It is the overcoming life. Even though it is difficult, we aren’t meant to live defeated, we are meant to be overcomers and victors in Christ.
How do we overcome?
Through Jesus’ victory
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
We are given a promise that in this world we will experience difficulties. We are not promised a life without trouble. But we are given a promise that we can have the peace of God even in the midst of trouble.
Peace is our victory over difficulties. When we can have perfect peace in Him no matter what is going on around us, we have already overcome.
Another thing we are told is that Jesus ( not us) has already overcome the world. This is good news, all I get to do is enforce the victory that is already mine in Christ. He has overcome the world for me, so there is no way I get to live in defeat. It’s an indictment against God when we choose to live in defeat when Christ already won the battle for us.
Even our Faith
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4
This verse begins by telling us the kind of person who overcomes the world. Only the one who is born of God overcomes the world. We cannot overcome this world if we look like it. We are born of God the moment we receive the gift of salvation. We are no longer born of this world. We become children of God and this is our enablement to overcome the world- God’s divine nature now lives in us giving us the power to live life differently.
First, we are born of God, then through our faith in Him, we have the victory that overcomes.
For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God]. AMP
I love the Amplified version, it says not just any faith but the continuing persistent faith. Victory doesn’t come because we received salvation, it becomes our inheritance as we continue and persevere in our faith in Him.
Abiding in the Word
I am writing to you fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you young men because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children because you know the father. 1 John 2:13
Notice he says three different things to three different groups of people. To the fathers( those seasoned and mature in faith) he says they know Him who is from the beginning. To the young men( those still growing in faith) he says you have overcome the evil one. To the children (the babes in faith) he says you know the Father.
John reveals different seasons of a believer’s life. The young men are reminded that they are overcomers because that is what they need to give weight to.
He repeats this statement.
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the word of God is [always] abiding in you( in your hearts), and you have been victorious over the wicked one. 1 John 2:14 AMPC
The exhortation for those growing in faith wasn’t to know the ever-existing one or to grow in the knowledge of the Father( even though these are important). It was to make sure they are overcoming the evil one. He adds you are strong( in faith) and the Word of God is always abiding in you. This is the secret of overcoming, through strong faith and by getting in the Word until it abides in us. When the word of God abides in us, we are able to win the battle over the evil one.
By His blood and our testimony
And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. Revelation 12:11AMP
We overcome the enemy by two things. One, by the blood of the lamb, understanding it is not by anything we can do, but what has already been done for us. Jesus shed his blood so we can have victory over sin, over life, the enemy, and this world- and this is our victory.
We also overcome him, by the word of our testimony. We hold on to the testimony that Jesus has won the battle for us, and we take our stand of faith. We declare His goodness and faithfulness in every situation and we refuse to be moved by what we see or feel. We do this until we see the victory in our lives.
This is the overcoming life, when we know that Jesus has already overcome for us, live by faith, and continuously abide in His word. We also apply the victory of the blood of the Lamb and hold on to our testimony in Him even to the end of life. This is our victory! This is our inheritance!
Is there anything you are overcoming in your life? Let me know how you are overcoming in this season. I would like to pray with you.
Blessed weekend Friends!
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Lucy, I love what you shared about the continuing persistent faith from the amplified version. I have been dwelling on persevering and to read your post on overcoming sits so well into what I have been thinking about. Thankyou my friend.
Blessings.
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