Over-comer

<<conqueror>>

In a contest, the person who succeeds is the overcomer.

The history of the world is one of struggles to overcome as nations battle nations and individuals sinfully strive for supremacy over each other. Jesus Christ is the one true overcomer who taught and demonstrated the real way to victory – by laying down one’s life (Jn 16:33; Jn 10:17,18). The climax of history will come when evil is finally and convincely overcome, Christ is exalted as the agent of our deliverance and believers (overcomers) surround His throne in worship (Rev 5:12, 7:9,10,17, 20:10, 22:3).

In the same way we must give up our self-centred lives, accepting His redemption and applying ourselves to His Kingdom's values and objectives. With faith in Him and self-discipline we can overcome the temptations and power of the world’s evil pleasures – through being born again and outworking the principle of baptism by considering the old

We are either an over-comer or overcome

life dead while living according to our new life in Christ (Rom 6:4, 8:13; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 3:5; 1 Jn 5:4,5). “Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” because God’s quality of ‘good’ is more powerful than evil as typified by Satan (Rom 12: 21). Even though Satan may appear to be winning on numerous fronts now, God is the ultimate victor. We overcome because “Greater is He (God) who is in us than he (Satan) and evil beings who are in the world” (1 Jn 4:4).

In the ongoing challenges of life, Christians who overcome are persistent and rely on God, focusing their attention on Christ and the desired result, confident in His ability to help rather than the present trial and, although past victories do not automatically ensure another success, they do provide encouragement (Phil 2:5-11; Heb 12:2). Though we have been triumphant in one area, it doesn’t mean we won’t be tested again in that area.

As we associate with Him, we too will be able to overcome all the inevitable struggles we experience and realise that all things have been working for our good to bring about the victorious nature of Christ within, because He is

With Jesus we are on the winning side

on our side outworking His purposes and nature in lives yielded to Him (Rom 8:28-31). Satan the accuser is silenced by an upright life that glorifies God and bold declarations of the truth (Rev 12:11). Satan would try to steal, kill and destroy us but Christ came to bring us abundant life and destroy all his work in our lives because we are now redeemed property (Jn 10:10; 1 Jn 3:8).

It’s an insult to Christ if we are not increasingly overcoming the works of the flesh that are a legacy of our life ‘before Christ’. Confidence and faith in Christ together with consistent appropriate action on our part will see us victorious. We are told, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7). David had confidence in God because he knew His God, through having an ongoing intimate relationship as well as a growing track record of successes (1 Sam 17:32-47). Do I have a strong conviction I am prepared to fight for and critically think through the strategies to bring about the desired results.

“A man is a slave to what has mastered him” (2 Pet 2:19,20). What or who is victorious in my life – God, the devil, or something I have allowed to become an idol? Can it be said of us, “You have overcome the wicked one” (1 Jn 2:13,14)? The Bible says it is the over-comers who will enter heaven (Rev 2:7,11,17,26, 3:5,12,21).