Overcoming? These days many “Christians” do not want to think about overcoming Sin, Satan and the World. Many even point to John 16:33 and claim that Jesus overcame the world for us. True it is that Jesus overcame the world, but to claim that we do not also need to overcome it is to deny scripture. To claim that men need not overcome is to deny belief and faith, it is to deny being born again, it is to deny regeneration. We can see that we, apart from God in us, cannot overcome anything. But “whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.” (1 John 5:4) The victory that overcometh the world is our Faith. “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5)
Because of God in us we overcome the spirits of antichrist which are in the world. God is greater than those antichrists for “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (See 1 John 4:3-4)
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” In Revelation 12:9-11 “…they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb…and they loved not their lives unto death.”
We are to be willing and even to expect to suffer for Christ, to bear our cross, not to live for self, but to consider ourselves dead. We are to deny ourselves, to reckon ourselves, (our old man of flesh) to be dead with Christ that we may live with Christ. (Luke 9:23, Colossians 3:3, Mark 8:34, Matthew 16:24, 1 Peter 2:21, 1 Peter 2:24)
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:3-11
In 2 Peter 2:19-20 we read of those who are overcome, because they have been entangled and are in bondage to the pollutions of the world. When we overcome through the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ then we escape corruption and are not overcome by the world.
In 1 John 2:13-14 John, when writing to the young men says that they have overcome the wicked one. How did they overcome the wicked one according to John? They overcame because the word of God abideth in them!
Does evil ever overcome good? The two witnesses of Revelation chapter 11 are overcome and killed by the beast, but only after they had finished giving there testimony before the world. (Those two witnesses prophesied a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. They had power over heaven that it rained not, they had power to breath fire out upon there enemies, and they had power to smite the earth with all plagues whenever they wanted to.) After they were killed they which dwelt on the earth made merry and rejoiced. But Look! After three and a half days “ the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” (See Revelation 11:11-12)
Evil may for a time appear to overcome good, but it Never will. Satan and his demons, those fallen angles, and those men who do not come to love and believe that Christ Jesus is who he says he is have much to Fear.
What is the reward for overcoming?
Jesus said “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Rev. 2:7)
Jesus said “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” (Rev. 2:11)
Jesus said “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” (Rev. 2:17)
Jesus said “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:” (Rev. 2:26, also see 2 Timothy 2:12, Rev. 20:6)
Jesus said “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Rev. 3:5, also see Rev. 4:4, Matthew 17:2, Matthew 28:3, Luke 9:29, Daniel 7:9, John 20:12, Acts 1:9-10, Isaiah 1:18, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9)
Jesus said “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” (Rev. 3:12)
Jesus said “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev. 3:21)
Jesus said “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Rev. 21:7)
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.” - 2 Timothy 2:3-14
The ten kingdoms of the beast shall “make war with the Lamb, andthe Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (See Revelation 17:10-14)