Paul makes it clear in Romans 8: 31-39 that through Christ, we are not only conquerors, but more than conquerors! A conqueror is One who conquers, or gains victory over any opposing force. We must realize that in whatever circumstances we face everything flows from the spiritual dimension. All that we do in the physical, relational, mental, and emotional realms has a spiritual component to it. Paul identifies the enemy in Ephesians 6: 12: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Everything that God created is good. God did not create evil. Lucifer, the anointed cherub, had a choice to obey God or oppose Him. Lucifer became Satan—the adversary who opposes God and all His creation. In Christ, we have been given the power to overcome every obstacle, every challenge, and every temptation. We are no longer are bound by the limitations of our human nature, but we are free to live a life that is pleasing to God. We are more than conquerors because we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit that makes us a child of God and we have been given the promise of a glorious future! This phrase is not just a declaration of our past victory, but it is also a declaration of our present and future triumph. It is a reminder that we are not just fighting a battle, but we have already won the war through Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us! We are more than conquerors because we have been given the victory in Christ!
Let’s examine these scriptures to build our faith and courage as we face uncertain days, because He lives we can face tomorrow—trusting an unknown future into the hands of an All-Knowing God! Paul presents the question in 8: 31: “What then shall we say to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?” There are many illustrations in the Old Testament of God bringing miraculous victory to His people, Israel. Humanly speaking, Israel was no match for their enemies. But God cautioned them not to be afraid, that He would fight their battles for them. Exodus 14:14 says, “The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still.” The Lord told Jeremiah that He was bringing armies against the rebellious Israelites as punishment for their disobedience, but even then, “they…will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1: 19) In one instance, an entire army fled their own camp when God caused them to hear the sounds of a great army coming. The famine-racked Israelites were able to plunder the enemy camp and provide for their families through no act of their own. (2 Kings 7) Not only were they saved from an approaching army, but they actually benefited from the threat. They were “more than conquerors.”
Satan is our adversary. He sends all kinds of life-defeating, joy-stealing attacks to threaten the well-being and faith of God’s children. Many of those attacks are listed in Romans; 35-39: trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, and sword. Satan attempts to annihilate and turn creation away from God. He wants to turn man against man, women against women—inverting marriage; turning children against natural affection and identity; and twisting the word of God and annihilating the good plan and purpose of God according to Jeremiah 29:11. Paul is encouraging us to stand firm in our faith when those attacks come, reminding us that not only will we win in the end, but Jesus enables us to win now. Satan lacks the power to steal our eternal destiny, and he cannot separate us from the love of God right now. Nothing we face worries God in the least. If we are His children through faith in His Son, then we have His pledge of love and protection. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect when it is God Who justifies, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?” (Romans 8: 33) Satan is the accuser of the brethren—God’s chosen, but he is a defeated foe! In John 10: 27-29, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hands.”
To be more than conquerors means we face the trials of life with the certainty that we are not alone. We have a mighty Father who fights for us. We approach the darkest valleys with confidence, knowing that nothing can happen to us that is not permitted by our loving Father for our good. (Romans 8:28) We have His promise of eternal life (John 3:16) and the presence of Almighty God every moment of every day until we see Him face to face. May the words of Romans 8:37-39 resonate in our hearts and minds at such a time as this. “Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No sin of ours and no attempt of the enemy can steal the loving care of God from our lives, and that makes us more than conquerors through Christ who loves us and shed His blood for us! Each and every day we must claim the blood over our family, our home, our church family, our community, state and nation! The blood will never lose its power! Christ’s blood speaks—our victory—the devil’s defeat!
There are four ways we can begin to tap into the supernatural power of our mind to live like a conqueror in the abundance of life that Christ the ultimate Conqueror has made available to us. (John 10:10)
Watch Your Focus. If we focus on selfish and carnal things, we empower our fallen nature (our flesh). If we murmur, complain and focus on how unfair everything seems to be in a difficult situation, we are not helping resolve the issue. Instead, we’re actually empowering more frustration, anger, bitterness, disappointment and injustice in our lives. If we choose to focus on the positive of Kingdom truth, we empower the love, light and life of Jesus to fill us and flow through us. While Paul was in prison in awful conditions and not knowing his fate, he wrote: “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report…think on these things. (Philippians 3:8) Fix Your Eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. It all begins with focusing on and agreeing with the truth that we have been raised up by Christ into a new life. We are new creations in Christ, and the old things have passed away, including the old ways of thinking. (Colossians 3: 1-2, 2 Corinthians 5: 17) We’re not to dwell on things of this fallen world anymore. We are not to allow our mind to be mired in fear, doubt, frustration, anger, lack, depression, self-pity, anxiety, worry or anything else that does not line up with the truth that Jesus has full restored us to relationship with our heavenly Father and His kingdom. (2 Cor. 5: 18) Each day we must spend time in the Word as the Truth sets us free! Think Like a Victor, not a Victim. In the midst of challenges, stop allowing your mind to be sidetracked with victim thoughts like, I’m under attack! Instead, try thinking victorious thoughts like, God, thank You that in every battle there is an opportunity to take back territory from Satan! Remember, the devil is “looking for some victim to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) The enemy is seeking people who will take on the role of a victim when he attacks, so that he can then devour them. The devil’s only chance to devour believers is if we stop believing—laying down the truth that we have the victory in Christ, and taking up the lie that we are victims because the devil has attacked us. Allow the Holy Spirit to “Renovate” Your Mind. Jesus emphasizes the importance of the Word in defeating the enemy in Luke 4: 1-14. Jesus was full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit when He was led into the wilderness for forty days where He was tempted by the devil. He had nothing to eat for 40 days and was hungry. The devil tempted Him to turn a stone into bread but His answer was “It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by bread alone but by every word and expression of God. The second temptation was the offer of power and authority, glory, excellence, preeminence, dignity and grace if He would bow and worship him. Jesus’ answer was: “Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” Lastly, Satan cast doubt that He is the Son of God by challenging Him to prove His power but again Jesus rebuked him with the Word: “And Jesus replied to him. The Scripture says, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” The devil ended his cycle of temptation and left but Jesus went back full of and under the power of the Holy Spirit! If we want to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit, we must know the Word so we like Jesus can walk in a greater measure of the dominion authority that we have in Him. Paul instructs us in Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In the Greek, that word renewing can also be translated as “renovation.” What Paul is letting us know is that a key to being more than conquerors, and living in the fullness of Christ, is for us not to think like the world thinks. Instead, we are to allow the Holy Spirit to help us overhaul our minds so we think about things from a Kingdom perspective. The revelation of our true identity as more than conquerors is waiting for us in the Bible. Once we begin to understand our real identity in Christ, our struggles and frustrations will begin to fade. God’s Grace will be activated in our life. Living out of who He has made us to be, we’ll be able to do what He has designed us to do and be. We’ll access God’s power and make a huge difference in this world! “If ye continue in My word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn. 8: 31-32)