The Battle of the Overcomer – Triumphing in the Christian Walk

August 13, 2024 TFJ Dispensation of Grace (Ekklesia/Church) 0

The word “overcomer” comes from the Greek word nikaw (to conquer, prevail, triumph, overcome – to win in the face of obstacles.) Found 28 times the New Testament, the word “overcomer” implies that the believer (in Jesus Christ) is embroiled in a BATTLE. Believers are called to be overcomers, triumphing in the battle of LIFE. In the Hebrew, the words for “overcome” have to do with purity of soul, striving, and enduring or lasting.

In order to overcome or triumph in this battle, one must first recognize that they are IN a battle. The Bible depicts the Christian Walk as a battleground, not a playground. The Christian is called to battle against evil in all of its forms, both of the world (external) and of the flesh (internal).

Ephesians 6:12: For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Who are our adversaries?

  • The devil and his spiritual forces both on earth and in the Heavenly realms
  • The world (Those controlled by the devil whose purpose is opposed to God and God’s plan for man.
  • The flesh (The corrupting power of the flesh and its appetite for sin)

1. The devil and his forces😈

2 Corinthians 2:11:  so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

The army of darkness is clever and cunning, and God does not want us to be unaware of their schemes. Satan is the “commander and chief” in his spiritual army of darkness. Their goal is to KILL, STEAL, and DESTROY mankind by ANY means necessary. Thankfully, these malevolent spiritual beings do NOT have God’s Omniscience, Omnipotence, or Omnipresence, even though they pretend that they do. This means that they cannot be everywhere at once. They cannot hear everything at once and do NOT know everything. And although the forces of darkness have power, they do NOT even come close to matching the POWER OF GOD.

Satan’s spiritual army of darkness gains power in the world through MANIPULATING PEOPLE.

The army of darkness has quite a few tricks up their sleeve; however, none of them are new. They utilize the same tricks that they have used for Millennia to manipulate and attack mankind.

  • Temptation: Satan tempts mankind to sin so that they lose fellowship with God.
  • Accusation: Satan reminds Christians of their past sins to keep them from moving forward and fulfilling the plan of God in their lives.
  • Blind and Deceive: As the father of lies, Satan loves to DECEIVE mankind so he can manipulate them into doing his bidding. He does this through blinding their minds so they cannot perceive the Glory of Jesus Christ nor recognize their own sin.

1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

2 Corinthians 4:4: in whose case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2. The world

There are several different meanings for “the world” in the New Testament. In this context, when the Bible references “the world” it is speaking of the world’s corrupt value system that is actively opposed to Jesus Christ. To gain power and wealth, many world leaders have said “yes” to the devil’s “offer” of ruling the world with his evil, corrupt, and twisted values. 😈👁️

Mark 8:36: For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?

Satan is called “the god of this world”, and his value system promotes (2 Cor. 4:4)

  • the lust of the flesh,
  • the lust of the eyes,
  • and the pride of life”.

Notice that Satan used the same three sins to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:6: “The woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was a delight to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise” (pride of life).

Even though God loved and still loves the inhabitants of the world (John 3:16), the Apostle John instructs us not to the love THE worldly culture that is alienated from God.

Greed, Pride, Lust, Fits of rage, Murder, Selfishness, Self-righteousness, Narcissism, and Unforgiveness are all values that are celebrated by the “god of this world.” We see these twisted values firmly entrenched in government, entertainment, sports, music, media, and in every worldly organization.

1 John 2:16: “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes NOT from the Father but from the world”.  17 The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.

3. The Flesh

Not all of our adversaries are external. The sin nature that we are all born with is a very powerful adversary. We are all born with a heart that leans towards sin giving us the DESIRE to do wrong. This inclination to sin will be with us all of our lives. Even our most lofty actions are often motivated by human selfishness. We desire to be seen, to be applauded, to be recognized.

We also have a tendency to rebel against authority, thinking that WE know what is best. We WANT to consider ourselves masters of our own destiny. We don’t WANT to live by God’s “rules”. In-fact, we rail against them. This is why we see the growth of the “nones” in our modern culture (people who deny any “religious” affiliation). Atheism is actually a form of Self-worship. These fleshly qualities of Self-centeredness and Self-worship are part of our sinful human nature. The Jews call our sin nature Yetzer Hara, which is mankind’s inclination towards doing evil.

If left to its own devices, our fleshly sin nature has the potential to debase mankind all the way down to animal instinct (beast). As society takes us further and further away from the God who Created us in HIS image, beastlike behavior rises to the surface. “Do as thou wilt”, “If it feels good, do it”, and “kill or be killed” are slogans that have cropped up in these last days. The devil delights in exploiting mankind’s’ fallen human nature.

Romans 8:7: because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,

Galatians 5:17: For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

What does it mean to be an “overcomer”?

What does it mean to be an “overcomer” and is this the same thing as salvation? This question has been on my mind and on my heart creating in me the desire to deep dive into the topic. To answer this question, we must look to the Word of God for truth.

The Hebrew idea of “overcoming” is similar to the Greek, but slightly nuanced. After struggling, and striving, and enduring all the pains and privations that come in our daily walk with Christ, in the end the VICTORY (OVERCOMING) is to finish our race with purity of heart.

In the Old Testament (Hebrew) the concept of overcoming deals with the sustained and unrelenting effort to purify our heart, even amidst numerous obstacles.

1 Corinthians 9:24: Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

“In this context, Paul’s readers would agree that in any race, only one runner wins. Why participate if you’re not going to try to win? Paul urges them to do what it takes to win. His point is not that only one Christian can succeed, spiritually speaking. Or that we are in a contest against brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul is referring only to the effort and dedication exhibited by the athletes: that is what the believer should duplicate in their pursuit of Christ.“

Jesus Christ was the ULTIMATE OVERCOMER

Jesus Christ was the ULTIMATE overcomer because He, as God, came to earth and lived a completely sinless life in the likeness of human flesh. He took our sin to the grave and was resurrected three days later. No other human being has been resurrected like this. Jesus is the Only One. His Resurrection is the PROOF that He was without sin. Our sin kills us and keeps us dead. But thankfully, those who BELIEVE in Jesus Christ, though they die the physical death, will be resurrected WITH HIM into ETERNAL, EVERLASTING LIFE. – HALLELUJAH!

John 16:33: These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I (Jesus Christ) have overcome the world.”

Salvation vs Overcoming

SALVATION: THE GOSPEL (GOOD NEWS) OF JESUS CHRIST

Salvation is the act of saving or delivering someone from destruction or calamity. Jesus’ Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross saves the Believer from sin, death, and judgement. A person is SAVED when they BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who SACRIFICED HIMSELF to take away their sin AND they PLACE their FULL FAITH and TRUST in CHRIST alone.

To gain ETERNAL LIFE, we must RECOGNIZE that we are ALL SINNERS IN NEED OF A SAVIOR. We must understand we cannot save ourselves or make ourselves “righteous” (in right standing before God) through good works.

Holy Spirit once gave me a vision of what this looks like. Imagine a very large slide rule. God’s standard of righteousness can be visualized by taking that slide rule to the very top. However, even with our VERY BEST HUMAN EFFORTS, mankind is only able to take that slide rule up to about 1 MM.

But what is impossible for man, is POSSIBLE for GOD.

It is not possible to enter Heaven through our own “works/law keeping“! This is because God’s standard of RIGHTEOUSNESS is INFINITELY HIGHER than our human standards. We cannot come close to reaching God’s Standard of Righteousness, which is THE REQUIREMENT to enter Heaven (the Kingdom of God). Being a “good person” will not get us into Heaven. Religion will NOT get us into HEAVEN.

The ONLY WAY to enter Heaven is through FAITH in JESUS CHRIST’s FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS !!!✝️ As the ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God, Jesus Christ is THE ONLY PATH TO HEAVEN!

John 14:6: Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

It is really that simple. The person of faith in Christ alone will not go to hell or eternal judgement. They have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and will go to Heaven when they pass away on earth. Although their physical body may die, their soul and spirit have been granted ETERNAL LIFE as a FREE GIFT from GOD because of their FAITH. They will receive a RESURRECTED BODY (FOREVER healthy and young) at the time of the RESURRECTION. God’s promises are Yes and Amen!

Hallelujah! 🙌🏻

OVERCOMING OUR ADVERSARIES

In addition to being saved from eternal judgment and damnation (otherwise known as the “second death”), the believer is also saved from the power and presence of sin in their life now, during their sojourn on planet earth.

The term “Overcomer” refers to HOW we live our lives on planet earth. 🌎

Jesus Christ EXPECTS us to overcome. He gave us everything we need to help us overcome. He sent us our own personal Comforter, Counselor, and Friend. God’s Holy Spirit dwells within every believer to help them on this journey. 🕊️In Scripture we call this being “born again” or “born from above”. We have to be “born from above” with the Spirit of God before we can even begin to be an overcomer.

1 John 5:4: For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

We also have God’s Written Word (Bible) to teach us His Laws and Precepts.

Walking by the Spirit and NOT by the flesh

Through faith in Jesus Christ (the Son of God), the believer has the ability to say “no” to sin and “yes” to Christ. We call this “walking by the Spirit and NOT by the flesh”. Our human nature, with its inborn propensity to SIN, will desire to walk in REBELLION. The Bible calls rebellion being a slave to sin.

Jesus came to set the captives FREE!

John 8:36: Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Thankfully, the believer’s Born-again Spirit will continually guide them into walking in the righteousness that Jesus Christ purchased for them on the Cross. We don’t GAIN righteousness (right standing before God) in this way, but we are called to walk👟 in a way that glorifies the God who gave His LIFE for us. ✝️

We will be guided to REPENT of sin, turn, and go a different direction. God will even send us advance warnings and grant us backdoors (“a way out”) so that we can AVOID TEMPTATION AND SIN.

1 Corinthians 10:13:  No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

The bible calls this FREEDOM! Freedom from sin and shame. Freedom from addictions. Freedom from fear.

The Holy Spirit who dwells within the believer will be continually guiding us into walking in righteousness; HOWEVER, the believer has the CHOICE to walk by the Spirit OR walk by the flesh. God does not make this choice for us. We are not puppets on a string.

If we walk by the flesh, we will do the “deeds of the flesh” which include.. 😈

Galatians 5:19:  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 💀

REWARDS FOR THE OVERCOMER

There are INCREDIBLE REWARDS given to those who OVERCOME. 💖

Rev. 2:7: To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’

Rev. 2:11: The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

Rev. 2:17: To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Rev. 2:26: The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 

Rev. 3:5:  The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 

Rev. 3:12: The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 

Rev. 3:21:  The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. 

Salvation is the FREE GIFT OF GOD for ALL believers in Jesus Christ! HALLELUJAH! ✝️🎁

Overcoming refers to how believers CHOOSE to live

HOW to be an OVERCOMER

Revelation 12:11: And they overcame him (the devil) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

The blood of Jesus Christ

The blood of Jesus Christ destroyed the power of the devil. Jesus’ Blood opens THE WAY to God through the veil of separation and appeases the wrath of God on our behalf. Christ’s blood, through the complete blotting out of all of our sin, provides to us the ability to house God’s Holy Spirit within us. God’s Spirit subdues the power of the sin nature and strengthens us so that we can walk in the ways of God. The book of Hebrews states that through His own Blood, Jesus Christ became our High Priest and Mediator and is CONTINUALLY interceding before the Throne of God on our behalf.

The word of our Testimony

This could be alternatively translated “they overcame by the message of their witness”. This speaks to the example that we leave in the way that we live our lives by faith. It is referring to everything we say and do. Are we Christlike? Do we lead with Love? Do we curb our tongue and avoid harsh, crude language and gossip? Do we avoid being judgmental? Are we kind, compassionate and forgiving to all people, even our enemies? Do we display integrity and purity in our walk? Are we following Christ’s teachings ourselves? Are we bearing the fruit of the Spirit? Can people see a change in our behavior, causing us to look DIFFERENT than before we were saved?

They did NOT love their lives, even when faced with death

Matthew 16:24: hen Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 

Do we cling to our physical lives, or do we keep our eyes fixed on that which is ETERNAL? Are we seeking the Kingdom of God or are we building our own “little kingdoms”? Are we willing to endure persecution, pain and suffering, losing our jobs, losing friends or family, or even literally losing our lives if necessary for the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

The Bible calls the choice to be an OVERCOMER by denying self (our selfish sin nature) and picking up our cross to follow Jesus Christ – “dying to self“.

“The concept of “dying to self” is found throughout the New Testament. It expresses the true essence of the Christian life, in which we metaphorically take up our cross and follow Christ. This means laying down our OWN selfish ambitions, dreams, possessions, and if necessary, even our lives in order to follow Jesus Christ.

Dying to self is part of being born again; the old self dies (selfish sin nature) and the new self comes to life (Christlike nature) (John 3:3–7). Not only are Christians born again when we come to salvation, but we also continue dying to self as part of the process of sanctification. As such, dying to self is both a one-time event and a lifelong process.“

Matthew 16:26: For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?

Warnings in Revelation to believers who REFUSE to REPENT

As we saw above, Revelation chapters two and three list wonderful REWARDS for believers who CHOOSE to OVERCOME.

however, these same chapters also issue stern warnings for believers who continuously REFUSE to repent or overcome the things that were pointed out to them by the Holy Spirit. None of these warnings seem to be an eternity in hell, so this does not appear to be a salvation issue. These warnings appear to be about DISCIPLINE for the believer (Church). “Judgment” (discipline) begins in the House of God. (1 Peter 4:17)

God expects His children to partner with Christ and be overcomers. He has supplied ALL of our needs so that we are ABLE to overcome. We are not expected to overcome through our own strength, nor is that even possible. God HELPS us to overcome through the power of His Holy Spirit. God has not asked us to do the impossible.

Revelation 2:4: But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent

Revelation 2:14:  But I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. 15 So you too, have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.

Revelation 2:20: But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.

Revelation 2:22: Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 

Revelation 2:23: And I will kill her children with plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 

Revelation 3:1: He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are dead. 2 Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

3 So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Then if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 

Revelation 3:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  

18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. 

Revelation 3:19: Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Those whom God loves He also rebukes and disciplines.

BELIEVERS will not overcome EVERY OBSTACLE and SIN in their life. However, ALL TRUE BELIEVERS will overcome some things, and some will overcome many. We should definitely work diligently to overcome those things that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention. 🕊️

The REWARDS for overcoming are AMAZING! God wants us to experience the fullness of what He has for us!

Revelation 21: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His [a]people, and God Himself will be among them,

 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

 7 The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son (child).

I don’t know about you, but I CHOOSE to be an OVERCOMER! 🙏🏻

You’re an overcomer!!! Stay in the fight till the final round!

The seven Churches of Revelation – Life in a Dying World

About TFJ 305 Articles
My name is TFJ, which stands for Thankful for Jesus. I'm a wife, a mom, and a grandma. I have a passion for Jesus because He literally drug me out of the pit, washed me clean, and made me new. I know He will do the same for you, if you let Him.