Overcome The World

Good Morning,

1 John 5:1-5 (NIV)
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:1-5 (NLT)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

"...overcomes the world..." What a huge thought. It sort of boggles the mind to believe that I could "overcome the world" in some way. But, I shouldn't feel that way and I shouldn't doubt for even a moment that I can, truly, overcome the world and "can win this battle against the world" as we read in the NLT translation.

Here's the deal then: SO CAN YOU! So can every child of God. How do I know that? Simply put, I know that because these verses of Scripture tell me so. If God is telling me, through Holy Scripture, that I can do a thing, then, well, I surely CAN do that thing! You see my logic here?

Scripture is from God. I think we all believe that and I think that we all know that in our hearts and minds and in our spirits. God's words as written in Scripture are the truth. So, if we know that and believe that, then we ought to have no problem understanding that we can, truly, do all that God says we can do.

Whether we read "overcomes the world" or "defeats the evil world" it comes to the same thing. Because of our faith and belief in Jesus Christ, we have power inside us to overcome and defeat the world and the evil in it. That power comes from God and is given to everyone who comes to Him by believing Jesus Christ is Lord and accepts Him as Savior. "...we achieve this victory (over the world and the evil in the world) through our faith."

It's just that simple. Our faith overcomes. Our faith gives us power. Our faith causes us to defeat the evil we face each day. It is our faith that is our power.

What we've got to, however, is to rid ourselves of our doubts and excuses about this or that which cause us to think that we CAN'T overcome that we CAN'T defeat the evil. That's just not true. My Bible says I can. So does yours. Here's a place where "can't" simply should not be in our vocabulary nor should it be understood in our minds.

Now, will my faith rid the world of evil? Will my faith cause the world to "change its stripes", so to speak? No, probably not. (I won't say that it's impossible for my faith...or your faith...to do these things, because with God ANYTHING is possible.) However, my faith can rid MY world, the world in my influence and the small part of the world that I can control, I can rid that world of evil. My faith can cause the world that is around me, at least a lot of it, truly to "change its stripes" and become much less evil...especially in the way or ways it affect me.

You see the difference? Our faith, truly, CAN and WILL overcome and defeat the world and the evil in it...at least as far as it affects us. We can stand firm against the evil that is out there and allow our faith to protect us from it and to defeat it in our lives and our spheres of influence.

What a marvelous section of Scripture to come to us here at the end of this year and the beginning...a new beginning...of another year. A message that we have the power, the power of our faith to overcome a world that seems to be filled more and more with evil and enmity towards God.

Believe what God tells us, my friends. It's true. Have no doubts. You and I have the power of our faith in Jesus Christ to overcome!

Love, peace, and blessings,

David