◄ What Does 1 John 4:4 Mean? ►

We have moved from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Our filthy covering of sin has been replaced with a robe of righteousness. We have been transferred from an earthly position in-Adam, to a heavenly positioned in-Christ. We have left the family of Satan to become an eternally adopted child of God and joint-heirs with Christ. In Him we are seated in heavenly places. Hallelujah!

But there is more, for we have all been given the gift of the permanently indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ, Who Himself triumphed over every proud principality and power, crushing the head of sin and darkness at the greatest Cross-Road of history. At the Cross of Calvary, our Saviour victoriously and irreversibly pronounced, "it is finished!"  Victory has been secured, and the evil enemy of our soul is already defeated.

It was Christ's triumph at the Cross that enabled John to proclaim to all who believe, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them."  The strength of the enemy may be great, but greater is the power of God almighty. Greater in might, majesty, dominion, and power, is the supremely pre-eminent, omnipotent God, Who has come to indwell His people. We have overcome the evil principalities and powers, "because greater is HE Who is in you than he who is in the world."

Christ's sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, was the pivotal point in history when all who believe in God's only begotten Son became overcomers. God determined that all who believe on Him would become His children and be covered in Christ's righteousness. And faith is the key to being an overcomer, for it is by faith that we are saved. And it is by faith that we overcome.

He purposed that all who believed on Christ would be endowed with strength from above. The moment we are saved by grace through faith, we become a completely new creation in Christ - but we must grow into spiritual maturity. By faith, we are made into a new creature, who is permanently indwelled by His Spirit of holiness. And we are to grow in grace as we live by faith. We have been wonderfully set free from the curse of sin and have overcome every satanic stronghold, because of our faith in Christ. We are overcomers because of our faith!

As believers, we are sojourners in this world. We are ambassadors of heaven. From the time of our rebirth into the family of God to the return of Christ for His Church, we are pilgrims, passing through a world of sin, en-route to our eternal home. The reason we can rejoice is that as children of God we have overcome the enemy of our soul, through faith - because greater is the Holy Spirit of God who indwells our mortal frame and empowers us with His grace and sufficient strength. Greater is HE than the defeated enemy of our soul, who is in the world.

Like John's readers, we are of God. We are born of God. We are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh by faith. Christ overcame through His shed blood and bodily resurrection and by faith in Him, we also overcome by the BLOOD of the Lamb. We overcome because of the testimony of our FAITH in Him. We do not have to DO anything to overcome - we are overcomers because of what Christ has done on our account.

Because of our unmerited position in Christ and born-again relationship to the Father, we too can rejoice that in Him, we have overcome every evil plan and all the wicked strategies of the enemy. Because we are identified with Christ, Who crushed the serpent's head and overcame that slimy serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, we too, have overcome them - through faith.

The deep desire of the enemy is to overwhelm every child of God with a deluge of schemes and strategies, errors and temptations.... but the armies of hell cannot prevail against the Lord and His Anointed, nor can he overcome the children of God, for the indwelling Holy Spirit is an ever-present Helper in times of trouble, and He is far greater in power and wisdom.

Under the shadow of His wings, we can cry, "I will not fear, what can man do to me," nor will I fear what the devil is trying to do to me either, for we are on the victory side. We have overcome them because of our faith in Christ, Who lives inside our mortal frame,"for did you not know that our bodies are the Temple of the Living God?"

The Spirit of God has taken up permanent residence in the hearts of all His children and we have become the dwelling-place of the all-powerful, all-mighty, all-knowing, all-gracious God. We can truly rejoice that we are from God and have overcome the enemy - for greater is HE that is in me than he that is in the world - greater in might, majesty, dominion, and power - wisdom, goodness, and grace.

Thank You, Father, that I am Your child, and thank You for the wonderful gift of Your Holy Spirit, Who is living within my body to lead and guide and protect me. Thank You that no power in heaven or hell can match His greatness. Thank You that by faith in Christ, I have overcome the enemies that seek my downfall and the downfall of those I love. Help me withstand all forms of evil and to submit to You in all things. Give me the wisdom to resist Satan's wiles, and flood my heart with Your perfect peace that passes understanding. Help me, Father, to listen more earnestly to Your still, small voice, and to remember that greater is HE that is living in me than the defeated enemy that is in the world. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.