Overcomers

There is a big difference between a survivor and an overcomer. A survivor is someone who suffers a terrible attack and lives to tell about it. This is great and noble, however in the Kingdom of God we are given the greater aspiration of becoming an overcomer.

An overcomer is someone who suffers a terrible attack then rises up to defeat his attacker. An overcomer has bounce back ability, he doesn’t stay down when he falls but bounces back to regain higher heights than what he lost.

Survivors are victimized. Overcomers are victorious. Survivors have wounds. Overcomers, like Jesus, have scars.

The biggest difference is in reward. In the Kingdom of God survivors don’t inherit the promises. Overcomers do. Revelation 2:7 “He who has an era, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

We overcome the great dragon by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of the New Covenant.

Scripture tells us that angels and demons (especially satan) are spiritual creatures gifted with intelligence, will, freedom, and initiative.

Those modern theologians who identify Satan as an abstract idea of evil are completely mistaken. That is a is true heresy openly in contrast with the Bible and the teachings of the Church .

Lucifer (Satan) was the most perfect being created by the hands of God before creating the world. His God-given authority and superiority over the other angels was recognized by all, so he thought that he had the same authority over creation as God.

Beginning with our forefathers, satan seeks to enslave men by making them obey himself and disobey God. He was successful with Adam and Eve, and he hoped to continue with all people, with the help of the other rebelling angels (now demons).

Through disobedience Adam gave satan the kingdoms of this world. Luke 4:5-8 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ 

One of the dangers of falling into the tempting offer of  political power (the kingdoms of this world) is that we could easily become the persecutors instead of the persecuted. The blessing of Our Lord is for those who are persecuted for righteousness sake NOT for those who do the persecution. Those persecuted for righteousness sake are overcomers. Those who persecute in the name of Christ have denied the faith.

We cannot resist the temptations of the devil to disobey the Word of God unless we submit to God.

We can’t get our life together and then seek God. Without God’s Grace we can’t get our life together period. Come as you are, that is God’s Grace.

James 4:7-10 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up

The truth of salvation is this: Jesus came “to destroy the works of the Devil” (I Jn 3:8), to free man from Satan’s slavery, and to establish the kingdom of God after destroying the reign of Satan.

 However, between the Birth of Christ and the Second Coming of Christ, the Devil tries to entice as many people as possible to his side. Therefore, Paul tells us that “we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). 

Draw your strength from the Lord

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Paul’s wording in Greek expresses this command with a passive verb (literally, “be strengthened in the Lord” to indicate that it is not a matter of the readers exercising their own strength but a matter of relying on Christ to strengthen them.

To do this requires a deliberate choice to Put on, to clothe oneself with, Christlike attitudes and actions that Paul now describes as the armor of God. 

Christians are to be fully armed with both defensive and offensive equipment by clothing themselves with the full armor of God.

Paul now explains the first strategic objective in this conflict—so that you may be able to stand firm.

 Defeating Satan is God’s work and has been accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ. Our assignment is to stand. This is how we overcome.

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