You Can Overcome

In the book of Revelation, chapters 2-3, Jesus is speaking specific words to each of seven different churches. The content of each letter is different. But there is one common thread that ends each letter. At the end of each letter, Jesus says that it is possible to conquer, to be an overcomer. And whatever the context, the idea of overcoming adversity applies to every church, and every person, in every era. Jesus is making the idea clear; whatever sin, trial, trouble, pain, problem, persecution, or hard providence you are going through, you can go through it as a conqueror, an overcomer.   

Hear what Jesus says, again and again. Revelation 2:7 – To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life. Revelation 2:11 – The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Revelation 2:17 – To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna. Revelation 2:26 – The one who conquers…to him I will give authority over the nations. Revelation 3:5 – The one who conquers… I will never blot his name out of the book of life. Revelation 3:12 – The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Revelation 3:21 – The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Make no mistake about it. Conquering is possible. You can overcome. Whatever the circumstance. But it doesn’t happen by applying the power of your will. It happens by the embracing the power of God’s will. It happens by faith. In John 16:33, Jesus said – In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. When Jesus says “take heart,” he is telling you to have faith. Jesus has overcome the world, and he is applying that victory to those who are his. 1 John 5:4 shows this when it says – And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. 

In Revelation 12:11, Jesus speaks of saints overcoming the Devil. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. In this verse, the blood of Christ is presented as the ground for the victory. This is why they were able to conquer; the blood of the Lamb. And they lived out what they believed in. This is what it means when it says that they overcame by the word of their testimony. They had faith in Jesus. They believed in the blood of the Lamb. So, they overcame based on their faith. That is their testimony, their legacy, for they loved not their lives even unto death. They conquered by being martyrs. They achieved victory by dying. That is what their overcoming looked like.

But how were they conquering by dying? It sounds like defeat, not victory. And it looks like they were overcome, not that they overcame. But this is scripture. And it says they overcame the Devil by dying. And this is the truth.

Think about how Jesus overcame. And how that applies to our overcoming. Jesus conquered by dying. He conquered sin, death, hell, and the Devil. He rose again, and ascended into Heaven. Talking about how Jesus conquered death, and thereby defeated the Devil, Hebrews 2:14 says that through his death Jesus will destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. And then Hebrews 2:15 applies this to your life by saying that through his death Jesus has delivered his people from being slaves to the fear of death. That is the big picture and the bottom line. 

Now, hear me clearly. Overcoming isn’t just for martyrs. And the Bible doesn’t teach that the only way you can overcome the troubles of life is through death. Hallelujah, we will overcome through death! But this power to overcome because of Jesus applies to living your life as well. In Christ you have overcome death. And because you have overcome, you can overcome, and you will overcome. You don’t have to fear death, so you don’t have to fear life. In Christ you have conquered death, so you can conquer life.

It is about a mindset of faith. In Christ, I have won the war. So now, in faith, I can fight the battles. And no matter how bad I lose, I still win. No matter how overcome I get, I still overcome. No matter how vulnerable I become, I’m still victorious. I believe in the blood of the Lamb. This is my testimony. Jesus conquered death, and I will conquer life, because Jesus has conquered me. Has he conquered you?  

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©