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We Are Conquerors
We Are Conquerors
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
What a thrilling thought to encourage and lift up our spirit as we face all the toil and strife of this life. We are conquerors, this is the shout of victory with the ring of victory swelling through it. It sounds out strength, not weakness, it proclaims joy, not despair, success as well as overcoming, not defeat.
We must never let ourselves be deluded into thinking that being a child of God, living the life of a Christian is just a walk in the park. The Christian walk is a daily struggle to overcome the temptations to say, do or think those things that are contrary to God’s will for his child. There is a constant war raging within us between the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life (James 4:1, 1 John 2:15-17). Hence, we must fight the good fight of faith, not allowing fleshly desires to control our life. If we fight this good fight, we will be conquerors, not by our own might, power and strength but through Jesus who loved us and died for us (Phil. 1:13).
It is not going to be easy to live a life dedicated to God when the world is shining so brightly in our eyes beckoning us to enter that wide gate and walk the broad way (Matt. 7:13). And we will be surrounded by those people who are supposedly living the good life on the broad way, enticing us to join in with them (1 Pet. 4:1-5). Possessions, riches, pleasures and amusements of this life have the power to choke God’s word out of our life. Pursuit of the things of this world above all else leads only to wickedness, envy and jealousies that crowd God and his word out of a person’s life (Matthew 6:24, Luke 8:14, Luke 12:15-21, Gal. 5:19-21))
It will not be easy to live a life of purity, a life that is not tarnished by the wickedness and immorality that engulfs the world in which we live (1 Tim. 5:22, Matthew 5:8, Philippians 4:8, Psalms 24:4). We must with diligence guard our hearts lest we be drawn into participating with others by word or conduct in sinful activities (Prov. 4:13, Prov. 23:7). Whatever the temptation may be, whatever battle we must engage in, as a child of God we do so with the thrilling words of the inspired Paul ringing in our ears, “In all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
We have an awesome responsibility to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this world (Titus 2:11-12). It will not always be easy to do this but lest we somehow forget, let us remember that we are from God and greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). We don’t have to fear whatever foe lies in wait before us because with the Lord as our helper, we will overwhelmingly conquer that foe (Heb. 13:5-6, Rom. 8:31).
To God be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.—2 Peter 3:18
Charles Hicks, Gallatin Tennessee
