He Who Overcomes

[B-A-C]

We see the eight verses below in Revelation. What exactly are these people "overcoming"?

Rev 2:7; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'
Rev 2:11; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.'
Rev 2:17; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'
Rev 2:26; 'He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;
Rev 3:5; 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Rev 3:12; 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
Rev 3:21; 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Rev 21:7; "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

First John also mentions this, some take this to mean being born again automatically means you will overcome. Others take it as an initial requirement. It comes down to once saved always saved,
but many believe every believer doesn't always "overcome", but that NO one will overcome the world at all unless they are born again.
1 Jn 5:4; For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
1 Jn 5:5; Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Jesus said if we believe and are baptized, we will be saved.
Mark 16:16; "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Paul adds that we need to confess this belief with our mouth.
Rom 10:9; that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

But Jesus adds that we also have to "endure to the end".
Matt 24:13; "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Matt 13:13; "You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

It seems there are many who preach, you are saved. Relax, it's in God's hands, there is nothing to worry about. Well God does help us. He strengthens and encourages us.
The Holy Spirit quickens us to make the right choices. But the Holy Spirit can be grieved and resisted, and often we make the wrong decisions and choices. There is grace for these times.
The fact is, we are in a war. A struggle for the soul.
Eph 6:12; For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

We are constantly in a spiritual war.
Rom 7:23; but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
2 Cor 10:3; For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh
1 Pet 2:11; Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
2 Cor 10:4; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

I am reminded of the 10 virgins with empty lamps. ( Matt 25; )
They walked like Christians, they talked like Christians, but they had no oil. What does the oil signify here?
Jesus told them...
Mat 25:12; "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'
I do not know you. He didn't open the door for them.

So for all those listening to those who say, don't worry, it's all good. All is peace...
1 Thes 5:3; While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

 

[B-A-C]

Php 2:12; So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

1 Pet 1:7; so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Eph 4:1; Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Maybe struggles and tests are a requirement to please God.

Heb 11:17; By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

God gives us the strength to overcome, but we are still in the battle.
1 Jn 2:13; I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

 

[spirit1st]

He did it all , we just give Him the glory for doing it all for us .

He has already declared each new creature [child] a over comer at salvation and more than a conqueror . It not so important we prpove it by doing all the works He did .

Joh_14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.


1Jn_4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Rom_8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Joh_17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

We are sure God will keep the prayers of Jesus . He has prayed for each child .

 

[B-A-C]

He did it all , we just give Him the glory for doing it all for us .

He did his part. We have a part to do also. If there is one thing I see over and over again in scrpture, it's that he expects us to our part. It isn't become a Christian go on vacation, Jesus did it all.

Matt 24:46; "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
Matt 24:47; "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
Matt 24:48; ''But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'
Matt 24:49; and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
Matt 24:50; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,
Matt 24:51; and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matt 18:32; "Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Matt 18:33; 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'
Matt 18:34; "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
Matt 18:35; "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

Matt 25:15; "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
Matt 25:16; "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.
Matt 25:17; "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.
Matt 25:18; "But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
Matt 25:19; "Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.
Matt 25:20; "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'
Matt 25:21; "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Matt 25:22; "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'
Matt 25:23; "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Matt 25:24; "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
Matt 25:25; 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
Matt 25:26; "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
Matt 25:27; 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
Matt 25:28; 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
Matt 25:29; "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
Matt 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matt 5:16; "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
John 9:4; "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

We aren't saved by doing good works, that's true. But we definitely aren't supposed to sit around and say Jesus did it all either.

 

[spirit1st]

Yes He wants each of us doing the works HE DID . Raising the dead ,healing the sick ,casting out devils . Help others .Planting seeds of Truth in others . Walking in our New creature. Talking back and forth with Him daily . Yes He loves to see us doing the same works as our Example Our Lord JESUS CHRIST.

but few do ?
being Born again is the important and eternal thing.

The sad part is ? So many are following preachers and teachers and books and popes .
few are Hearing and following our LORD. which must be by learning from the Holy Ghost and then living it even unto death .

Joh_6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh_6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

LOOk ,when I see what Paul and the others did ? Then I know I am not doing very well while on earth . The little i have done is nothing .
How could not judge or look down on any? He shown me lots and I have lived very little

I cannot look down on you or anyone else. It all I can do to try hard to live as perfectly as i can ? That not saying much no matter how hard i try.

Joh_14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Mat_10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mat_16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat_18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Joh_20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Gal_3:12 And the law is not of faith
The Royal law is God heavenly law.

You Live in Love and Faith and you will have done well .
Those are the laws He writes in our Heart .

This is just what I believe the spirit of Truth has revealed too me.

If He has not revealed this to you ? then why would you want to accept it ?
I do not expect everyone to agree with me .

Some might know More and some might know less? i count them all equal in the family of GOD .

 

[bgsda]

Thats very well said Spirit1st and BAC. Its very important to know that demons believe(or have faith( and tremble at yhe name of Christ. So when people say just believe(or have faith), what makes you diff from a demon.
The answer is in many ,many verses in the Bible. The one that sticks out most to me is Matt. 7:20-23. Those that DO His will will be crowned, not just believe or have faith.

 

[DHC]

Thats very well said Spirit1st and BAC. Its very important to know that demons believe(or have faith( and tremble at yhe name of Christ. So when people say just believe(or have faith), what makes you diff from a demon.
The answer is in many ,many verses in the Bible. The one that sticks out most to me is Matt. 7:20-23. Those that DO His will will be crowned, not just believe or have faith.

The commandment, the pattern of behavior, the life handed to us by the apostles.

1 Timothy 3
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,
6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,
7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

Love from a pure heart and a clean conscience.

The law is for the ungodly, love is for the faithful in Christ.

Love and faith are the hallmarks of the Christian life.

 

[james1523]

We see the eight verses below in Revelation. What exactly are these people "overcoming"?

Rev 2:7; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'
Rev 2:11; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.'
Rev 2:17; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'
Rev 2:26; 'He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;
Rev 3:5; 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Rev 3:12; 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
Rev 3:21; 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Rev 21:7; "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

First John also mentions this, some take this to mean being born again automatically means you will overcome. Others take it as an initial requirement. It comes down to once saved always saved,
but many believe every believer doesn't always "overcome", but that NO one will overcome the world at all unless they are born again.
1 Jn 5:4; For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
1 Jn 5:5; Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Jesus said if we believe and are baptized, we will be saved.
Mark 16:16; "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Paul adds that we need to confess this belief with our mouth.
Rom 10:9; that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

But Jesus adds that we also have to "endure to the end".
Matt 24:13; "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Matt 13:13; "You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

It seems there are many who preach, you are saved. Relax, it's in God's hands, there is nothing to worry about. Well God does help us. He strengthens and encourages us.
The Holy Spirit quickens us to make the right choices. But the Holy Spirit can be grieved and resisted, and often we make the wrong decisions and choices. There is grace for these times.
The fact is, we are in a war. A struggle for the soul.
Eph 6:12; For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

We are constantly in a spiritual war.
Rom 7:23; but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
2 Cor 10:3; For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh
1 Pet 2:11; Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
2 Cor 10:4; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

I am reminded of the 10 virgins with empty lamps. ( Matt 25; )
They walked like Christians, they talked like Christians, but they had no oil. What does the oil signify here?
Jesus told them...
Mat 25:12; "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'
I do not know you. He didn't open the door for them.

So for all those listening to those who say, don't worry, it's all good. All is peace...
1 Thes 5:3; While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

The word "overcome" is just like any verb.. its meaning applies to the context. What is it being overcome? By quoting from many verses with the word 'overcome' in it, you are assuming all the meaning of the word overcome is the same. But there are different types of overcoming. As 1 John says, all children of God overcome the world by faith. This is unconditional based upon what Jesus has done for us, because Jesus overcame the world, we overcome in Him.

But in Revelation Jesus has a number of messages to the different churches. The overcomers in Revelation are those who overcome the particular degraded situations in those particular city churches.
For example ""To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation." Rev 3:14.
If your city is in that situation and you overcome by recovering your first love for the Lord (overcoming lukewarmness etc), you are an overcomer and Jesus has a particular reward for you.

Although the book of Revelation applies to the particular city churches of the time, in the general sense it also applies to any church or denomination today which falls within those categories. If your church is lukewarm and you are not, you are clearly an overcomer.

 

[bgsda]

Hello all. What do all of you believe is the main thing we have to overcome? I know we may be thinking "everyone is different". So before anyone puts that down, think what is this thing that everything boils down to? What is it that seperates us from our loving God?

 

[spirit1st]

1Ti_6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But of course GOD has programmed each of us to feel and desire certain things? These things can go out to far and gain control of us

. Php_4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Any of our natural desires can get control of us ,if we are not careful .

We can get in the habit of eating or drinking or sex or talking about others or many things ?

We seem to go over board many times in things we do or say?

 

[james1523]

Hello all. What do all of you believe is the main thing we have to overcome? I know we may be thinking "everyone is different". So before anyone puts that down, think what is this thing that everything boils down to? What is it that separates us from our loving God?

Matt 16:24 and John 12:25 - our self and specifically our soul life. To love God we have to deny our self and soul life. I believe that everything we have to overcome is inside of us. Anything opposite the fruit of the Spirit. The main thing we have to overcome is our self. Before we knew God, we lived in our selves, we were independent. We ruled our lives. After we become Christians, a change has taken place in our spirit, but our soul (mind, emotions, will) still needs to be transformed. A degraded state, whether as individuals or a church, is due to loving our self or our soul more than loving God.

The soul says "I want", or "I feel like" or "I don't feel like". When the "I wants" and" I feel like" and "I think" is put above God's will and truth, then it's a problem.

The world is basically an enlarged self. The world is comprised of all the human beings living in their fallen self/soul. A christian "in the world" is a saved one living in their fallen self/soul. To overcome the world first we have to overcome our self. We have to overcome all the wants, feelings, and thoughts in our selves and those that come from others that are independent from God. For example at church if someone says "I think we should do this", an opinion of man, and you follow it, without consulting God, you've just followed someone else's independent self, rather than the Spirit of God. But to overcome it, we need to deny it, and then turn to God.

 

[spirit1st]

I believe we only need walk and live more though our spirit man . Then we will automatically overcome all things 100%

I think it very easy . Just takes about three days water only and reading the bible and praying for His help .

I used to work hard in the sun and I started my fast on Friday morning .I could make it without any trouble working the first day and just drinking water .

I have great faith in everyone of GOD holy children . I am 100% sure they are true overcomers and more than conquerors and anyone of them with a little effort will go far beyond me in every way .
I not kidding

 

[bgsda]

Very well said James and SP, but if u guys have time take a look at Isaiah 59: 1,2. This is not me saying it. It is sin, like u said James "self". What seperated the devil and God Isaiah14 and Ezekiel 28, it was self. That is a sin.

So well very plainly put I believe , including myself, we have to put away sin. Definetly CANNOT do this on our own without JESUS. We have to stop cheapining His grace and ask the all powerful SAVIOR to help us OVERCOME our sins.

 

[james1523]

Very well said James and SP, but if u guys have time take a look at Isaiah 59: 1,2. This is not me saying it. It is sin, like u said James "self". What seperated the devil and God Isaiah14 and Ezekiel 28, it was self. That is a sin.

So well very plainly put I believe , including myself, we have to put away sin. Definetly CANNOT do this on our own without JESUS. We have to stop cheapining His grace and ask the all powerful SAVIOR to help us OVERCOME our sins.

Yes.. self is at the heart of all the sins, whether it is obvious sins such as lust, or less obvious sins such as independence and self-reliance. To overcome the sins we deny the self. That does not mean asceticism, it means we deny our independent self. We still have a self.. we just align it with God's Spirit through fellowship with Him and other believers, rather than keeping to and within ourselves.