THE OVER-COMER’S HONOUR
BISHOP DAVID IBELEME
Before Jesus left the face of the earth, He made a strong statement to His disciples. He 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" - Jn. 16:31-33. There are three (3) major things I want us to notice in this statement, the fourth I will show you later.
1. In the world you shall have tribulation.
2. Be of good cheer, i.e. be bold and courageous
3. I have overcome the world, the world is "vercome-able".
GOD EXPECTS NOTHING BUT VICTORY
This means that Jesus is aware of the conflicts that we face on the earth. God is not ignorant of the warfare that we have on the face of the earth. In fact, He refers to the devil as our adversary in 1 Pet. 5:8 - "because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion and emphasizes that there is a spiritual warfare that we are involved in Eph. 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places".
From the day you turned your life to Jesus, you were enlisted into an army - God’s army. There is no way you can make it if you don’t fight. Fighting in the warfare is not an option it is a must. Actually more than that God expects you to overcome. He doesn’t expect anything less than that. Since creation, He placed a tremendous importance on us overcoming. He told Adam to dominate or rule and Gen. 2:15 also declares, "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it". The statement "keep it" in the original Hebrew actually means "protect or guard it". This gives the impression that God informed Adam about the devil and expected Him to overcome him (the devil) in combat.
He doesn’t expect us to be defeated in combat. He was displeased with the children of Israel because they were overcome in the wilderness. "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness" - 1 Cor. 10:5. When we win it brings pleasure to God, when we are beaten it displeases Him. You see, child of God, we are part of God’s Kingdom, which reigns or rules over all. "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all" - Ps. 103:19. Losing or being overcome by the situations of life negates the Scriptures. God has put things in place for us to overcome. The Apostle Paul says in Rom. 8:37, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Isaiah the prophet declares in Is. 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn".
WE ARE DESTINED TO WIN
Child of God, we are destined to win. We cannot afford to fail. Hear this, not only has God given us all that it takes to win, He also bestows upon us honour whenever we overcome. Child of God, great honour is bestowed upon the over comer. Consider Jesus’ dealing with the seven churches of Rev. 2 & 3.
"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life" - Rev. 2:7
"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" - Rev. 2:11
"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna" - Rev. 2:17
"And he that overcometh ¡Kwill I give power over the nations" - Rev. 2:26
"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment" - Rev. 3:5
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God" - Rev. 3:12
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne" - Rev. 3:21
An over comer is someone who has conquered or is victorious; someone who is successful, someone who has gone over a barrier or over a limit. For the over comer there are no more limits. He doesn’t see or know defeat. He has scaled or gone over the limits. The Israelites lost and didn’t enter the Promised Land because they set limits on God. "How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel" - Ps. 78:40-41. Losing in this warfare is not an option. God always expects us to express His glory or His anointing. We cannot lose. The Bible declares in Col. 1:27, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory". Christ is in you. The anointed one and His anointing is in you. The yoke destroying, burden-removing power of God is in you. Therefore we can hope for or expect the Glory of God to be expressed. Hallelujah!
LEAVE SATAN IN THE DUST
The NIKE Corporation does their best to project an over comer’s image. The very word NIKE comes from the Greek word NIKOS which means Victory. The corporation therefore associates with people who are victorious in their sporting careers, e.g. Michael Jordan. They maintain an overcoming image. Their logo is the swoosh and this actually means "leave them in the dust". Child of God, Jesus has already defeated the devil so we are called upon to leave him in the dust.
"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it" - Col. 2:15
"that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" - Heb. 2:14.
However, there is a consciousness that is essential if we are going to overcome and maintain ourselves in the place of being more than conquerors. Let’s go back to the seven churches that Jesus dealt with in Rev. 2 & 3. Apart from sharing with them the benefits of overcoming He told each one of them "Let him that hath ears hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the churches". In essence an over comer hears what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.
We cannot overcome without the Holy Spirit. The question is what is the Spirit saying? What is the witness of the Spirit? What is the word of the Spirit that is essential for us to overcome in life? The answer is so simple and it is found in Rom. 8:16. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God". Yes, that’s how simple it is. It is the revelation that we are the children of God. Considering the following scriptures one can see it connects being a child of God to overcoming.
"I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one" - 1 Jn. 2:13;
"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in thee world" - 1 Jn. 4:4.
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" - 1 Jn. 5:4.
God wants us to be conscious of our position as children of God. This consciousness will allow you to walk in Victory. As a child of God, you have His nature, you have His life. If you are conscious of this and walking in this light, there is no way you would lose any of life’s battles. It will allow you to overcome consistently. The NIKE Corporation associates or identifies with people who are victorious. Jesus tells us He has overcome the world. "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." - Jn. 16:33. We are to identify or connect with Him if we are going to overcome. We are joint heirs together with Him so all that belongs to Him belongs to us. He is also letting us know that the world is "overcome-able" You can overcome it. Bless God.
Overcoming is part of our inheritance as children of God. Consider the following Scriptures.
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." - Is. 54:17
"To execute upon them (the princes of darkness) the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye thee Lord" - Ps. 149:9
In essence, apart from God honouring us when we overcome, overcoming is also an honour that God has given us as His children. It is the privilege to demonstrate the defeat of the devil upon the face of the earth. It is the honour to cast out devils and destroy the works of darkness.
The fourth thing Jesus said in Jn. 16:33 is "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace". He wants us to find peace in Him.
Child of God, you cannot even fight successfully without a revelation of peace. You cannot overcome if you are overwhelmed. To overcome you must receive God’s peace. Remember Gideon in Judges 6, as God called him to war; He first introduced Himself to Gideon as Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace. The word "Shalom" actually means a state of total well being, to be totally satisfied, spirit, soul and body. A revelation of the peace of God will put one in a position not to be disturbed by the circumstances of life, hence enabling the individual to consistently overcome without fretting. It takes a man of peace to win the battles of life.
Child of God, you have been given His peace, so be bold and courageous, for we are more than conquerors in Christ. This is your honour, walk in it.
Until next time keep feeding your faith and starve your doubts to death. Stay strong.
COPYRIGHT 1999 BY BISHOP DR. DAVID IBELEME
VICTORIOUS FAITH MINISTRIES
P.O. BOX 4378, ST. ANN¡¦S, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD. WEST INDIES
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