Some have asked, “If Jesus had overcome, why then do I need to bother to strive to overcome?” You need to overcome now because you need to demonstrate and reaffirm that the victory of the cross is a reality that is relevant even now. It matters to Christ that His sons, for whom He died, overcome Satan, overcome sin, overcome the world and overcome the flesh. It matters that they reenact the victory and power of Calvary even in these times.
Overcomers are not perfect human beings who resist the devil and his temptations by their strength. Rather, they are those who depend on God for His grace and ability. They are those who do what Paul did in Philippians 3:12, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
Peter epitomises those who try to overcome by their strength. They fail repeatedly. Jesus prayed for Peter, so that Satan would not devour and maul him. When things got to a crunch, he denied Jesus repeatedly. Peter’s denial notwithstanding, Jesus later chose him to lead His disciples in His absence. At Pentecost, Jesus transformed Peter into a different person and used him to win 3,000 souls and also made him be a leader in the church.
To overcome implies that there is warfare or an obstacle to conquer. That means we need some preparation to make and battle gear to put on, if we must conquer and overcome. Paul’s advice is that we put on the whole armour of God in preparation for the battle. Putting on the armour is only a preparation and not the actual warfare. The main battle is the day-to-day conflict we engage in.
In these days when men see themselves as gods and believe so much in their achievements, it is worth emphasising that the common traits of overcomers lie not in the confidence they have in their abilities, expertise, wisdom or social standing, but on grace and the finished work at Calvary. Christ’s righteousness is the armour for the overcomer. Job states that the righteous waxes stronger and stronger, no matter what his experiences are in life. Our righteousness is not of us but of Christ, which makes us strong and invincible to Satan’s assaults, “He has made me a byword of the peoples, and I am one before whom men spit. My eye has grown dim from vexation, and all my members are like a shadow… Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger” (Job 17:6-10). Righteousness made Job rise from the ashes of condemnation to the place of strength.
Every overcomer must put on the armour of faith. Overcomers must believe in the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ and know how to apply it in warfare. They must know how to confess the right words before Satan. They must believe in the power of their confession. They must be willing to sacrificially lay down their lives if need be. The overcomer needs to put on the helmet of salvation and know how to fearlessly apply the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit in every situation of life. All manner of prayer must be the hallmark of the overcomer. He must know how to pray without ceasing. He must be spiritually sensitive and depend on the Spirit for guidance and direction. Obedience to the Lord Jesus must be his creed. Holiness is his part of defensive armour. Contact: [email protected]
