Believers Are Overcomers and More Than Conquerors in Jesus (1 of 3)

When We Live Gospel Spiritual Lives, Not Just Natural, Human Lives, We See and Live a Lot Deeper In the Truth and Reality of God.

I am doing ongoing writing in Medium and Illumination publications: “10,000 Instructors in Christ” vs. very few “Fathers of the Gospel.” Perhaps you are reading it, perhaps not. When I started researching being an Overcomer and being a Conqueror, I couldn’t help but notice how many articles were written by Teachers or Instructors in Christ, not by Fathers of the Gospel. There weren’t 10,000 of them, but there was a whole bunch, all saying something different.

Instructors and Teachers about Christ

Of course, depending on the article, I saw lists of 3, 4, 7, 10, 15, and 23 steps — that we have to do to become an overcomer or a conqueror!

Legalistic, religious, formula-driven teachers come up with so many creative ideas to bury people under. They hardly have to try. It just comes naturally.

These were all written by “Instructors in Christ” (as Paul calls them in First Corinthians 4:15). They bury people under deep piles of what I tend to call “religious do-do.” I used to call it “religious crap,” but this offended some folks. Paul says we should not have our ears open to what he calls “every wind of doctrine.” He means don’t believe everything you hear coming down the Pike from all types of 10,000 teachers and preachers.

Paul agrees with this. He says, “Wanting to be teachers of the law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying, or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

Elsewhere he says they should be cursed. That’s not pulling any punches.

Instructors Listed Many Things We Have to Do

I won’t even begin to try to list all they said, but one of my favorites was that we had to put on ‘The Armor of God of Ephesians 6’ every morning, and if we didn’t, we could never be an overcomer or a conqueror. And we had to put it on, piece by piece each day, praying over each piece.

Another said we had to bury ourselves in God’s word, during a quiet time each day, even memorize it, or we could never be an overcomer or a conqueror.

Another said we had to prioritize ourselves with things of God and avoid all things of the world or we couldn’t be an overcomer or a conqueror.

Of course, another said we had to stay away from sin, and live righteous lives each day in order to be an overcomer or a conqueror.

One said if we had to live in love, grace, compassion, patience, peace, and gentleness with others or we couldn’t be an overcomer or a conqueror.

Enough said! In other words, being an overcomer or conqueror was totally a matter of (1) self-effort, (2) personal performance, and (3) human doing. Nothing of God was involved. The Holy Spirit wasn’t mentioned.

Jesus Has Overcome the World

I find Jesus’ words interesting: “These things I have spoken to you that in me you might have peace. In the world, you shall have tribulation (problems), but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Now, yes, I admit that things don’t always look this way in our world. It does not mean that Jesus controls everything that happens in our world, or even all people, and even not all politicians and leaders. But overall, in the big picture of life on earth, he is in total control of the ending. And if you read the book of Revelation, things don’t turn out well for those who oppose him.

Believers in Jesus Are Overcomers and Victors

I also find it interesting to read this: “Whoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (First John 5:4–5).

Then there is the verse that I perhaps quote too often: “As Jesus is, so are we in this world,” (First John 4:17). These are some of the most startling, unbelievable words in the New Testament of the Bible: God declares believers are just like Jesus is. Paul even calls it, “Putting on Christ.” I humorously think of this as putting on a Jesus costume so we even look like Jesus.

When you think about it, this is like what “‘the armor of God” is that I spoke of. Remember it’s GOD’S armor. It’s not OUR armor. When we put it on, Satan and his demons can’t tell if it’s us in there or God. And of course, Paul speaks spiritually, not physically. He’s not talking about actual physical armor that we have to put on, piece by piece, each and every morning, or we’re losers.

This is Part 1. Parts 2 and 3 will follow.