January 3, 2020 CONQUERORS AND OVERCOMERS
Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you then he who is the world.”
One thing we can all agree on for sure is that in the culture and in the world in which we live, we have the opportunity to be conquerors and overcomers daily. Not only do we face external pressures and challenges in the world around us, we also face battles within-in our minds and in our spirits. We must remain alert to the fact that it is the desire of our enemy to discourage us and defeat us in any way he can, and we also must be continually aware of the fact that we cannot overcome and conqueror in our own strength and will power. It is true that one may alter his thinking and form new habits that will improve his life, but to overcome the world system and the battles within requires more than human effort. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us can we conqueror whatever it is that we need to conqueror. The basic truth we must know is that the Holy Spirt in us is more powerful than Satan who is at work in the world. Note that it is God who enables us to overcome, but we have to do the overcoming and the conquering. Conquering and overcoming is to be a way of life. Internally, we must conqueror the flesh by putting it to death, not allowing anger, frustration, jealously, depression, selfishness, complaining, slandering, complacency, and such to rule in our lives. Externally, we must overcome by responding as God would have us respond when adverse things beyond our control happen, by responding with love to those who are unkind, by speaking truth, by helping in time of need, by encouraging others, and etc. Even as believers we can find ourselves trying to overcome and conquer in our own strength and willpower-by ‘trying harder,’ being more committed, etc. The key to being one who overcomes is knowing and experiencing the love of God personally. Romans 5:5 tells us that the “love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Because God loves us, He has given us the Holy Spirit who enables us to overcome and live in victory over anything or anyone that comes against us. Knowing God’s love for us goes hand in hand with knowing our true identity in Him-that we have been made new-and now we can go through life responding the way He would respond and how we see Jesus responding as we read the New Testament. It is a privilege and a blessing to be able to respond to any and all situations, to all people, with the super-natural love of God. Even when someone is being difficult to get along with, when they say hurtful things, when they do the wrong things-whatever-let us respond with the love that God has put into our hearts---that is conquering and overcoming in action.
Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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