More Than Conquerors!
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
To get a full understanding of what this truly means, one needs to read Romans 6–8. This promise is to those who have responded to the Gospel call, being buried, united with Christ through immersion into death, set free from the bondage of sin and guilt, and raised by the glory of the Father to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-7). “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5b). On the one hand, we have the love of Christ providing everything for our salvation. But, on the other hand, we must cherish, strengthen, nurture, and protect that relationship with the Lord. “More than conquerors” has to do with our relationship with, in, and through Christ.
God, who freely gave His Son, did not withhold Himself and the greatest treasure heaven has to offer: the Son of His love. The Lord saw and does see the potential that lies within each one of us. He knows what we can become with His help. He gives us the strength, tools, and wisdom to succeed. His desire is for our eternal good! He has invested Himself in our lives and our success. It stands to reason He will freely provide all things we need for our salvation from sin, complete our race, fight the good fight of faith, and stand with Him as victors at the end (Romans 8:31-32)!
As I ponder and marvel at this wonderful promise and glorious hope the Christian has in Jesus Christ, I think about the Apostles of Christ. History tells us that all but one died unnatural deaths because of their faith in the Master and His Cause. Many died gruesome deaths, except for the Apostle John, and that wasn’t for lack of trying. History tells us that Roman Emperor Domitian had John thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil. When that did not work, he had him banished to the Island of Patmos, where he received the contents in the Book of Revelation (see Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, chapter 1). Not only the Apostles but also numerous saints through the ages have lived for Christ under many difficult and strenuous circumstances and never recanted the Savior (Romans 8:35-36). “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation 12:11). They have shown that it can be done!
Worldly wisdom would scoff at calling these men and women conquerors, and more than conquerors. “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? …it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:20–25). This is where the eye of faith must be employed. As Paul said, the Christian must walk and live by faith and not by our physical sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). There is the wisdom from above: these men and women died for and became more than conquers through Christ! Even in the eye of the storm. He is more than enough!
Does this mean there will never be trials, temptations, or persecutions? No. But it does mean that there is nothing with Him that we cannot handle! Since Jesus gave His blood to cleanse and justify us before God, not even Satan, our adversary, and accuser, can bring an accusation against a child of God who is standing with the Lord (Romans 8:33). He can accuse, but it won’t stick because of Christ! “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9).
Paul warns us that the mind and heart are ground zero in the Christian’s spiritual war. Therefore, be careful what we allow in our hearts and minds. He has made us conquerors with the ability to cast down every imagination and high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity. Reject, don’t entertain or embrace, that we may obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3–5). The Lord has given His people power to reign over self and sin to enable us to be “overcomers” in this life (Romans 6:12-18; Galatians 5:22-24; Revelation 1:5-6). In Christ, there is the fortitude to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and make the daily commitment to follow Him (Luke 9:23).
For the Christian, His blood is a constant, ever-present cleansing agent when we are walking in the light. When we strive to please and serve Him, and when we do falter, there is power to repent and confess our sins. He is just to forgive us and intercede in heaven on our behalf (1 John 1:7- 2:6). Christ has conquered the devil and the fear of death. We, through Christ and His work, can conquer the fear of death, for He gives aid and intercession on our behalf (Hebrews 2:14-17)!
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). May this be said of us, who follow and apply the Apostles’ doctrine in our lives: through Christ, more than conquerors!