TUESDAY 28th
1 John 5:4-5
‘For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
You may recall that I recently shared in our Sunday morning service from Philippians 1:27-30 where we were encouraged by Paul to not be afraid of those who our opponents in this world because of our testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, let me remind us of what Paul wrote, ‘Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have’, and here in our verses today, John is reminding us that because we are born of God, that is we have been born again by the Spirit of God we overcome the world, but how? Well, John continues this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. But then listen to how he continues, Who is it that overcomes the world? It is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. See again how important it is to have a correct understanding of who Jesus really is. Affirm it again today, that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who has always been and always will be, he was with God and he is God.
In Christ we have become people of the Faith, therefore in Christ we already have the victory, we are overcomers, we are on the winning side, or should that really be we are on the side that has already won! As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:57 ‘But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory’, and how? ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
On another occasion Paul wrote in Romans 8:31–39 ‘What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present 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 in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
When the enemy of your soul comes against you by attacking you with those who are the opponents of the gospel, remind him that Jesus has won and he has lost, in fact tell him to ‘get lost’, for greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.Let’s live in the victory that Christ Jesus has already won on our behalf.
I feel the need to add the words of a hymn for those who read the devotion, for the audio version I will just read the chorus.
They who know the Saviour shall in Him be strong,
Mighty in the conflict of the right ’gainst wrong;
This the blessed promise given in God’s Word,
Doing wondrous exploits, they who know the Lord.
Victory! victory! Blessed, blood-bought victory!
Victory! victory! Vict’ry all the time!
As Jehovah liveth, strength divine He giveth
Unto those who know Him—vict’ry all the time!
In the midst of battle be thou not dismayed,
Though the pow’rs of darkness ’gainst thee are arrayed;
God, thy Strength, is with thee, causing thee to stand,
Heaven’s allied armies wait at thy command. [Refrain]
Brave to bear life’s testing, strong the foe to meet,
Walking like a hero midst the furnace heat,
Doing wondrous exploits with the Spirit’s sword,
Winning souls for Jesus, praise, oh, praise the Lord!