Weekly Devotion: Overcome

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30

The word “overcome” has to do with battle and prevailing and being victorious, and as it says in the verse above, to “possess” something; which in this case is the Promised Land. The battle mentioned by Caleb here, doesn’t mean that he thinks that Israel is stronger or better fighters than the inhabitants of the land, it means that he has faith in God’s promise (that he was going to give them the land), is stronger than what he things or feels! Although we’re in a different dispensation than Caleb and Israel, the war for faith rages on and transcends time to today.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4, 5

The “world” and it’s system is contrary to our “faith” in God, just as the inhabitants of the land were opposed to God; because Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). Since the Devil is evil and God is good, Rom. 12:21 says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” The opposite of overcoming is to be overtaken and possessed by the world and brought into bondage, Jer. 23:9 says that he is “…like a drunken man and like a man whom wine hath overcome…”, and Is. 28:1 talks about “…them that are overcome with wine”. When we allow vices into our lives and let addictions get a foot hold, it won’t be long until they become a strong hold; and if we don’t conquer our flesh through faith, they will have a strangle hold on our lives and bring us back into the bondage of sin.

“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” 2 Peter 2:19, 20

So, the world promises us liberty, but it uses servants of corruption to make such promises, intending to entangle us and bring us into bondage with the pollutions of the world, but Jesus said that “…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Just as Jesus overcame the world; he now promises that those who believe in him can overcome through him, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev. 3:21). Just as Israel eventually believed God, and they battled and warred to enter into the rest that the Promised Land offered, Heb. 4:11 says, “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Our battle / labour is also to believe, and in Rev. 12:11, we have a prophetical example of tribulation saints who overcame through their faith / belief in Christ, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony…” Friend, we too can ONLY “overcome” (prevail, conquer, be victorious) hell, if we place our faith in Christ (salvation); do you possess that kind of faith? Once saved, we can ONLY “overcome’ the world through our faith in God, for he is greater than the world!

“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.” 1 John 4:4