The Overcomers In Christ

In Luke 10 Jesus sent 72 of His disciples out to the towns to share the Gospel and minister to the needs of the people.

• Luke 10:17 “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

• Jesus replied in verse 18: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Billy Graham says it right: “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”

• Where God leads you, He will keep you. He will enable you. He will not lead you to a place to see you FALL.

• James 1:13-14 “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”

• It will not be God, it will not be the circumstances, but our own desires. We are not victims of the circumstances; we are just victims of the bad choices we make.

1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

• In the next chapter - 1 John 5:4 “…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

• God has given us the assurance of victory in Christ. Our faith in Him will ensure victory, because the One who is with us is greater than the one who is in the world.

We are overcomers in Christ. You are not becoming one, you ARE one.

• We can win over temptations and be victorious.

We all face temptations in life – situations that cause us to lose faith in God, stray from what is right and into sin, away from doing the will of God.

• Temptation is a fact of life for everyone, including Jesus. His first experience when He started ministry was temptations in the wilderness.

Temptations need not have to be baits that lures us into something blatantly evil or sinful.

• A look at Jesus’ experience and Adam and Eve’s experience, tell us temptation can come in very subtle forms – deceiving us into mistrusting God.

• When people face a tragedy or are stricken with a horrible disease (like Job), they can be led to resent God. They ends up hating God and blaming Him for their misfortunes.

• If that happens, they have fallen into the devil’s ploy.

Yet there are those who, despite the tragic events and the urge to “curse God”, have chosen to remain faithful.

• They have chosen to think otherwise, and rely instead on God for the strength to pull through.

• They weathered through the storm and came out with an even stronger love for God.

Why the difference? Why are some people able to withstand temptations better (or so it seems)? Why some come through the ordeal unscathed while others can be badly ruined by it?

• The answer lies in our understanding of the truth of God’s Word, revealed in 1 Cor 10:13 - the memory verse for lesson 3 – Assurance of Victory.

• “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

God has given us what we need to “overcome all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:18)

Those who remain strong are the ones who cling on to this truth – they know God is faithful and that in Him, victory is assured. They can overcome.

While those who fall, do so because they believe otherwise. They believe in the devil’s lies, the opposites to what is being said here.

• Satan has been doing that since the fall in the Garden of Eden - twisting God’s truth, telling us lies and making them sound true.

• Turn these 3 lines around and we can expose his lies.

Lie #1: NO ONE ELSE GOES THROUGH WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.”

I am the only one suffering, and to such a degree. You pity yourself.

Firstly, this thought not only cast doubt on God’s goodness – that He puts you through something that no one else goes through.