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What does the Bible say about being an overcomer?

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What does the Bible say about being an overcomer?

The Bible has a lot to say about being an overcomer. The term overcomer is especially prominent in the book of Revelation, where Jesus encourages His people to remain steadfast through trials (Revelation 2:26; 3:21; 21:7). First John 5:4–5 says, “For whatever 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?”

Overcomers are followers of Christ who successfully resist the power and temptation of the world’s system. An overcomer is not sinless, but holds fast to faith in Christ until the end. He does not turn away when times get difficult or become an apostate. Overcoming requires complete dependence upon God for direction, purpose, fulfillment, and strength to follow His plan for our lives (Proverbs 3:5–6; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Greek word most often translated “overcomer” stems from the word nike which, according to Strong’s Concordance, means “to carry off the victory. The verb implies a battle.” The Bible teaches Christians to recognize that the world is a battleground, not a playground. God does not leave us defenseless. Ephesians 6:11–17 describes the armor of the Lord available to all believers. Scattered throughout this narrative is the admonition to “stand firm.” Sometimes all it takes to overcome temptation is to stand firm and refuse be dragged into it. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” An overcomer is one who resists sin no matter what lures Satan uses.

The apostle Paul wrote eloquently of overcoming in Romans 8:35–39. He summarizes the power believers have through the Holy Spirit to overcome any attacks of the enemy. Verse 37 says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Overcoming is often equated with enduring. Jesus encouraged those who followed Him to “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:13). A true disciple of Christ is one who endures through trials by the power of the Holy Spirit. An overcomer clings to Christ, no matter how high the cost of discipleship. Hebrews 3:14 says, “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”

In the book of Revelation, Jesus promised great reward to those to overcome. Overcomers are promised that they will eat from the Tree of Life (2:7), be unharmed by the second death (2:11), eat from hidden manna and be given a new name (2:17), have authority over the nations (2:26), be clothed in white garments (3:5), be made a permanent pillar in the house of God (3:12), and sit with Jesus on His throne (3:21). Jesus warned that holding fast to Him would not be easy, but it would be well worth it. In Mark 13:13 He says, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (ESV). We have the guarantee of Jesus that, if we are His, we will be able to endure to the end and His rewards will make it all worthwhile.

article: http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-overcomer.html
 
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Overcoming is a part of the Christian walk, it is something we keep doing, overcoming temptation and sin, overcoming the world.
 
Active
As Brother Chad so well pointed out,the true central theme of revelations at least to me is in the ability to overcome! Rev 2:7,verse 11,verse 17,verse 26,rev 3:5,verse 12,verse 21 if this was not enough a reminder near the end of revelations!! rev 21:7! The point! All believers have the ability through Christ Jesus to ALWAYS!!!! Overcome! As brother Chad pointed out in rom 8:37! IF!!!! and only IF!!! we believe in what our Jesus has already done!( phil 4:19) There is no fear in belief,for belief comes from love himself!! Our Jesus! Thanks so much brother Chad for that reminder!!
 
Loyal
Jesus overcame the world [John 16:33], but until we have done the same we are not as much like Him as we could be, are we we? Jesus overcame the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life [see I John 2:16], and to be like Him, do we not have to do the same? The OP says that the overcomer is not sinless, but shouldn't we strive to become so? What did Jesus have in his fight against the temptation to sin that we now lack? Did God not provide all that is needed?
 
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Jesus overcame the world [John 16:33], but until we have done the same we are not as much like Him as we could be, are we we? Jesus overcame the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life [see I John 2:16], and to be like Him, do we not have to do the same? The OP says that the overcomer is not sinless, but shouldn't we strive to become so? What did Jesus have in his fight against the temptation to sin that we now lack? Did God not provide all that is needed?

Hi brother. Good points but we live in a sinful world and a sinful body, we will never be sinless until we are resurrected in a new glorious body, after Christ returns.

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

The Resurrection Body
35 But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first.37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. 38 Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 39 Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.

50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
 
Loyal
We were born again [if we were] while still in these corruptible and already corrupted bodies of flesh. Within us is a "new man" who need never die if he endures to the end with Jesus. Is not this "new man" a new and glorious body in the making now. The "end" for each us, I believe, is the end of our "course" as it was with the apostle Paul. The time of our "course" is our time to choose Life or death. All of us were dead already before our "rebirth", but we still have not [and/or have allowed God in us] to lay down and/or kill the ways of that body of flesh: the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

That "new man" of each of us is our new opportunity to do what the first man Adam failed to do: choose God's Way rather than the wrong ways of men. Those wrong ways need to be overcome and we have already overcome some of them we likely would not even be members of this forum. But... if we are still stumbling and quenching the Holy Spirit in us and sinning the same sins repeatedly is there not more work that needs to be done?

I agree that in one's own flesh alone no man can overcome all that stands between him and God, but we are not supposed to stand or work alone. We are to turn it over to Jesus. If we cannot surrender everything completely without help then ask for help [Matt 7:7-11. To say it cannot be done before our "course" is finished [before the dirt is thrown over our face] is, I believe, to limit God. If we don't limit Him in our lives by repeatedly quenching the Holy Spirit in us, will He not accomplish it?

"Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." Psalm 78:41
 
Loyal
I think we need to know who are the people that have already "overcome" this world?

1John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Overcoming for a born again Christian is not something we struggle at over a period of time, but it happens the very moment we become a child of God.
How many born again believers are considered "overcomer's" according to 1 John 5:4? "Everyone who has been born of God....", not 50%, not 70%, not even 99%, but 100% of every single believer is a world over comer because of their faith, which is really not ours, because it came from Jesus, as faith comes from the Word (Jesus)!

Jesus said.....

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

What "works" are we suppose to keep, and unto the "end" of what? The end of our life, the end of the world, the millennium, the second coming of Jesus? The works we are to keep is what Jesus said to his disciples in the Gospel of John.

John 6:27 Labour (work) not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Simply having "faith" in the Word (Jesus Christ) of God, that is our only work of God, and that faith comes from Jesus, and we put that faith right back into Jesus.(the Word)
The word "keepeth" in Revelations 2:26 means to guard and to protect. Guard and protect it from what? The "cares of this world", the "deceitfulness of riches", the "lusts of other things", "persecution", and or becoming offended because of persecution.

What do these things do? They "choke" the Word so it does not produce it's intended fruit. What is the very first fruit the Word of God produces in the life of the person who has guarded, and protected the Word from these things?

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Who are the ones who have overcomed this world? Everyone born of God. The end is not our life, or world, but the seed, time, harvest of becoming a child of God. As Jesus said he would give power to those who have overcomed. ".......to him will I give power over the nations:"

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
 
Active
Fine point Curtis! PROVIDING!!!!!! YOU BELIEVE THIS!!!! John 6:28-29 Jesus gave us everything pertaining to both life and godliness( 2 Peter 1:3-11) verse 10!! See " for as long as you practice these things!" you will never stumble!! amen! Believing is an action, and must be preformed for faith to have its perfect work in us.( James 3:22) When I went into the Military I was not a soldier, I was becoming one. I believe Jesus has a boot camp as well LOL( Phil 1:6)
 
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