More than conquerors:

In the eighth chapter of Romans, in the midst of the Apostle Paul’s great affirmation of the secure place of the believers in Christ Jesus, Paul makes the statement: "…In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). When we read this, the thought comes to mind: How can we be more than conquerors? Is not the conqueror the winner? How can we be better off than the winner? Then the thought comes: being a conqueror is good only if you’re strong enough to keep what you’ve gained. In fact, history teaches us that very few conquerors in this life got to enjoy their victories for fear of losing them to someone stronger or smarter then themselves. So, how are we are more than conquerors? We are more than conqueror because we did not overcome the grave and the second death of ourselves, but Christ did this for us. Therefore, we don’t have to keep the victory He won for us on the cross, for He has committed Himself to that. It was also Paul who said, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Romans 4:4-8). And who said again, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

Why are Christians overcomers?

In John 16:33 Jesus said: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." What did He mean He had overcome the world? Obviously, such a battle would be no contest at all Christ. This only makes sense when we realize that He was saying He had overcome the world in our stead. In fact, in his first epistle the Apostle John makes this very clear. Let’s read some of what he had to say.

1 John 2:13-14

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Overcomers in our standing with God:

In the death of the first goat, we see depicted the death of Christ on the cross and the eternal life He won there for us.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 10:12-17).

Overcomers in our walk for God:

However, when the priest put the sins of the people on the head of the second goat and turned him loose into the wilderness, we see illustrated the fact that Christ also made provision for us to be more than conquerors in our walk of faith in this wilderness we call life. This is why John could write: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (I John 1:6-10).

Then again, in verse 5 of his first epistle, John re-emphasizes our two-fold victory in Christ Jesus. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). That is, whosoever is born of God not only becomes a part of the eternal family of God but they also are equipped for victory in this life as well. Again quoting John: Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them [those of the spirit of the antichrist]: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 4:4-5).

All believers will not fare the same in their walk:

Obviously, for the believer, there is more to becoming an overcomer in our walk than there is to becoming an overcomer in our standing with God. This is because to become a Christian and to have one’s name written into the Lamb’s Book of Life takes only one decision; i.e., to believe and to receive as best you know how the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior. But to become an overcomer in this life requires moment to moment decisions in the heat and hustle of the day (and night). Because our success in this life will depend upon our dedication and consecration to the Lord Jesus, not everyone will fare the same.

For the faithful:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (II Tim. 4:7-8).

"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life" (Matthew 19:29).

For the double minded:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:5-8).

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7).

For the carnal minded and rebellious:

"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (I Corinthians 1:1-5).

No one is exempt from this time of judgment for rewards:

"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (I Cor. 3:11-15)

We should also be aware that God in His infinite mercy does not simply wait to the day of judgment to deal with we believers when we walk after the flesh; rather, He deals with us in this life time via chastisement so that we might put away our carnal ways and have treasures in heaven.

"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. (Hebrews 12:5-13).

In the light of all of this, we can see the importance of Paul’s admonition to the Church: "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). How to do good is no mystery, right? Just study the Word to show ourselves approve unto God, pray in the Spirit for the needed faith and strength, and do unto others as we would have them do unto us…of course, it is really not quite that simple, for as every believer knows, we have a tempter with which we must contend. However, here again we have a promise of God. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). (We should also remember that enduring temptations is one of the ways that we lay our treasures up in heaven.)

Other than the warning about false teachers who are overcome by corruption (2 Peter 2:19-20), the remaining verses dealing with the overcomers of this life are found in the book of Revelation. So let’s just list them and then get back to our study of Revelation/revelations.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" (Revelation 2:11).

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; 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" (Revelation 2:17).

"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations" (Revelation 2:26).

"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" (Revelation 3:5).

"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" (Revelation 3:12).

"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 (Revelation 3:21).