“The 17 Promises given to the Overcomer”
The word “overcome”, “overcometh”, and “overcomer”, comes from the Greek word “NIKAO” and appears in the Bible 32 times.
Numbers in the Bible play a very important role; if you don’t believe that read 2nd Kings 13: 17 – 19 “And he said, Take the arrows. And he took [them]. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed [it]: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria [but] thrice.”; however, every number doesn’t have a certain meaning. The numbers 1 – 12 are the main numbers that have a specific meaning all others are combinations of those numbers with the exception of a few like 40, 50, and a few others. The number 32 in and of itself does not have a certain meaning to it; however, the combination of the two does. 3 + 2 = 5. 5 is God’s grace, so the 32 times “Nikao” is mentioned indicates that God’s grace is given to or poured out upon those that “Nikao” or overcome.
8 of those 32 times it is mentioned in the Old Testament. 8 means New Beginning.
24 times it appears in the New Testament. 24 in and of itself doesn’t have a specific meaning, but the combination 2 + 4 = 6. 6 is the number of man, the works or working of man; therefore the 24 or 2 + 4 times “Nikao” is mentioned in the New Testament it indicates what man must do.
15 of those 24 times it is mentioned in the book of Revelation. 15 is a very unique number, it is the combination of 5 x 3. 5 = God’s grace. 3 = fullness, representative of the fullness of the Godhead, Father, Son, Holy Ghost. 15 = God’s grace in fullness. Also 15 is 1 + 5 = 6 the working of man; therefore if man works to be an overcomer he will receive God’s full grace.
The 17 promises given to an overcomer.
The number 17 has no specific meaning, but 1 + 7 = 8 which is New Beginning; therefore we see that to them that overcome are promised a New Beginning.
1. What is an overcomer? The Greek word “Nikao” means one that prevails, conquers, and gets the victory over. It is to surmount difficulties. Therefore, when we say we are overcomers we are saying we don’t think it strange concerning the fiery trials which is to try us, but we rejoice, inasmuch for we are partakers of Christ suffering and we know if we suffer with Him that we shall reign with Him. We strive to prevail over the difficulties which come our way.
2. Who is an overcomer? Everyone can sing the song “we’re overcomers”, but everyone is not an overcomer. Understand that there is wheat as well as tarra that grows together. Who is an overcomer, the Bible says in 1 John 5:4 “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.” In order to be an overcomer you must be born again. John 3:3 says “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
3. What does an overcomer overcome? We said an overcomer is one that is first of all born of God, we said they are able to surmount difficulties and prevail against them. However the question becomes what are the difficulties they overcome. There are only 3, remember 3 = fullness, when you overcome these 3 difficulties then you are fully an overcomer.
What are the 3 difficulties?
a.) The World
b.) The Flesh
c.) The Devil
A.) The World: 1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.” 1st John 2:15 says “Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” You can’t be an overcomer and love the world or the things of the world. You got to come out from among them and be separated from them saith the Lord. You can’t walk hand and hand with the world and with God. James 4:4 says “whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”. To be an overcomer you must prevail against the world.
B.) The Flesh: Understand that when we say flesh we are not talking about this body, because this body is dust and it’s going back to the dust and the body doesn’t act it only reacts to what the spirit and soul tell it to do. Therefore when we talk about overcoming the flesh we are not talking about this body, but what controls this body, the mind. The Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and the rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places. This battle is not against the flesh of any kind. Romans 8:4-8 says “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” When you overcome the flesh you have transformed the mind from a carnal mind into a spiritual mind. The word transformed means to undergo a metamorphosis, which is to change from one thing into another. Once you undergo this metamorphosis you no longer think the way you use to think, but you begin to think the way the spirit thinks and now you are pleasing to God; therefore, are an overcomer of the flesh.
C.) The Devil: Overcoming the devil how do you do that? There is only one way to overcome the devil and that is by the Word of God. When Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights He was lead into the wilderness to be tried of the devil. Every time the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus replied it is written, He defeated the devil with the Word of God. Not the Logos, but the Rhema Word. The Rhema Word is powerful, the Rhema Word causes change, the Rhema Word is the Word of God that said Let there be and there is. The Rhema word is the spoken word of God Himself.
When we overcomer the world, the flesh, and the devil then we are overcomers and are able to receive the 17 promises God has promised to only the overcomers.
What are these promises?
1. Revelation 2:7 says “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” When Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil God drove them out of the Garden of Eden and place a Cherubim at the gate of the garden lest they go and eat of the tree of life. Because they failed to be overcomers they didn’t get to eat of the tree of life, which literally means you will have everlasting life.
2. Revelation 2:11 says “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” The second death is eternal separation from God. The overcomer doesn’t have to worry about being separated from God ever again we will be in His presence and in His presence is the fullness of joy.
3. Revelation 2:17 says “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.” Manna was the miracle bread from heaven that feed the Children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness, however, that bread being a miracle is not the hidden manna. Jesus is the hidden manna. The Bible says in John 6: 32 – 33 “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” Jesus is the hidden manna, the Bible says in 2Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” Jesus is this gospel and He is hid from the eyes of man, both naturally and spiritually in many cases, but when you become an overcomer you will be able to taste and see that the Lord is good.
4. Revelation 2:17 says “and will give him a white stone,” This is a 3 fold promise in and of itself, it is a promise of acquittal, a promise of admittance, and a promise of intimacy. 1.) The promise of acquittal: refers back to when a person was tried of a crime the judge would hear the case and make their decision by giving either a white stone which said the person was innocent or a black stone which stated that the person was guilty. God promises an overcomer a white meaning that you have been acquitted of all sin, you’re not guilty. 2.) The promise of admittance: This also refers back to times past when a person tried to get into a certain organization or club the members of the organization would cast a secret vote rather or not to accept them into their organization, they would place either a white stone or a black stone in the box, if the stones were all white the person was accepted into the organization. However if the stone was black it said that the person had not been accepted into that organization. Here God promises to accept you into His family, we are adopted into the son ship of God making us heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. 3.) The promise of intimacy is representative of a man giving a woman a diamond ring for engagement. Women love diamonds and white diamonds are the best. It says I promise to love you, I promise to take care of you, I promise to protect you, I promise to keep you by my side. When God created woman he took a bone from Adam’s rib, the bone came from his side representing walking and working beside him, from under his arm to be protected by him, from close to his heart to be loved by him, intimacy.
5. Revelation 2:17 says “and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” The changing of the name represents the marriage of a husband and a wife. When a man and woman get married the woman takes on his name. When you become an overcomer He will give us a new name.
6. Revelation 2:26 says “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations” This refers to the scripture in Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years”
7. Revelation 3;5 says “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment” White raiment means righteousness, not our righteousness, but the Shekinah Glory of God, just like it was in the beginning, Adam and Eve didn’t have need of clothes because they were clothed in white raiment, which was the Shekinah Glory of God.
8. Revelation 3:5 says “and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life” If your name is found in the book of life you will have eternal life. Your name not being blot out means to the overcomer they are guaranteed everlasting life.
9. Revelation 3:5 says “but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” I like this one, picture this if you will, a courtroom, we are being judged by God, the angles are the jury, Jesus is our advocate and He confesses our name, YES ________ is a child of mine.
10. Revelation 3:12 says “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God” A pillar is the support of a structure. As long as the pillar stands the structure will stand.
11. Revelation 3:12 “and I will write upon him the name of my God” This refers to the scripture in Revelation 7:3 “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads” The sealing of the forehead shows who you belong to. When He writes the name upon the overcomer it says see this is mine.
12. Revelation 3:12 “and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem,”
13. Revelation 3:12 “and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem,”
14. Revelation 3:21 “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” This is a cathedra, which is a place of authority, for we shall reign with Him in authority. Don’t you know that we will judge the angles, we will do that from the cathedra, the seat of authority when we reign with Him.
15. Revelation 21:7 “He that overcometh shall inherit all things;”
16. Revelation 21:7 “and I will be his God”
17. Revelation 21:7 “and he shall be my son.”
These are the 17 promise given to the overcomer. The next time you sing the song “We’re overcomers” think about the promises that God said will be given to the overcomers.
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Boanerge Ministries
