Overcomers
April 8, 2024
Overcome - to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something1
So many times today, when people hear the word Revival, their minds run wild. I think about the old tent meetings in Appalachia. I can remember the sounds, the people, and even some misinformed beliefs about what Revival really means. In some of the old Pentecostal Tent Meetings, their thought was to drag every person in there and browbeat them to heaven. Revival is really for the church members. Here is the definition of revival = restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc. It revives our faith. It revives our walk, our obedience, and our testimony.
I want us to examine 1 John and consider how Revival reinforces us as overcomers in this world.
John's theme in 1 John is “a recall to the fundamentals of the faith” or “back to the basics of Christianity.” John deals with certainties, not opinions or conjecture. He expresses the absolute character of Christianity in straightforward terms—clear and unmistakable, leaving no doubt about the fundamental nature of those truths.
First John is also pastoral, written from a pastor's heart concerned for his people. As a shepherd, John communicated to his flock some very basic but vitally essential principles, reassuring them about the basics of the faith.
Our theme of this Revival is “We Are Overcomers.”
Who is an overcomer? 1 John 5:4 tells us that Christians are overcomers. Only those who have been born of God are the only true overcomers.
1 John 5:5
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
The Greek word nikáō (3528), which is translated as “overcomer,” literally means victor, to conquer (verb form); of Christians who hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes and temptations and persecutions.2 Here, it is used as a present active participle, representing a simple statement of a fact of the one performing the action. Who is HE who overcomes?
The Greeks believed real victory could be achieved only by gods, not men. Only gods were conquerors and unconquerable. If you look at John 16:33, Jesus used a form of the word (3528) nikáō when He said, “I have overcome the world.” It is a word of victory. Since Christ is a victor, Christians partake of His victory. The believer, then, is a victor. Those who have been born of God are true overcomers.
ALL BELIEVERS ARE OVERCOMERS
Who is the one who overcomes the world - Since Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33), all those who, by grace through faith, are safe in Christ are also those who overcome the world. Think about John's opening question, “Who.” It should be noted that:
“Christians are victorious overcomers from the moment of salvation when they are granted a faith that will never fail to embrace the gospel. They may experience times of doubt and cry out with David, “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (Psalms 13:1; cf. Psalms 22:1; 27:9; 44:24; 69:17; 88:14; 102:2; 143:7; 2 Timothy 2:11-13). But true saving faith will never fail because those who possess it have in Christ triumphed over every foe. The “great … cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1; cf. Romans 8:31-29)—the heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11:1-40—testify that true faith endures every trial and emerges victorious over them all. Job expressed the triumph of faith when he cried out amid his trials, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15).3
As we start our Revival, let us look at ourselves and realize that we are more than conquerors; we are victorious. Yes, we may experience doubts and fears, but that does not define who we are. Let this Revival start with every one of us, and we can use it to recall the fundamentals of the faith and the basics of Christianity in all of us. Now is the time to experience the victorious overcoming life that the Lord has given us.
In His name,
Marty Williams
1 overcome. (2024). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/overcome
2 G3528 - nikaō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (lsb). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3528/lsb/mgnt/0-1/
3 MacArthur, J. (2007). 1-3 John. Moody Publishers.