What is More than a Conqueror?
We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
We live in a small town ranked as a Class C school district. Of all the schools in Class C, we were one of the smallest. It was hard for our school to find enough players for the football team. We played against teams that had second string players. When playing the larger districts, the team pulled off very few wins. When playing a smaller district, they had lion-hearted expectations and were victorious. What made the difference? They saw the other team as defeated. They approached the game as conquerors. You can approach life as a conqueror, as one who already has everything pertaining to life and godliness because you are in Christ Jesus. You woke up loved, accepted, valued, with a purpose, belonging to God, and with the Godhead on your side.
What does it mean to be more than a conqueror through Christ? I asked myself that many times before I had a satisfactory answer.
Through Christ, you were made to DIE TO THE POWER OF SIN.
Through Christ, you were made to DIE TO THE POWER OF SIN. You are a new creation. Sin does not reign in your heart anymore; Christ reigns in your heart which Romans 5:17 calls the “abundance of grace”—divine power. Conquerors are not slaves to sin or passions. They rule over themselves for a higher purpose.
Through Christ, you are NOT OBLIGATED TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH.
Through Christ, you are NOT OBLIGATED TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. What does that mean? Christ came to bring you to God so that you have access to resurrection, overcoming power all day long. You have the life and power of God the Father to enable you to respond to every person or circumstance with the same manner of love, wisdom, and hope as Christ.
Through Christ, YOU DIED TO THE LAW.
Through Christ, YOU DIED TO THE LAW. That is not permission to be Lawless. It means God has written the Law of love on our hearts through new birth in Christ. The written Law told us what to do, but it did not enable us to do it. The indwelling Law of Christ is alive and is the power of God willing and working in you to receive and share His love and acceptance.
Much more than paying the penalty of sin, Christ also defeated the power of sin by indwelling us with His life. The same Spirit wrought in Christ works wisdom, patience, discernment, power, love, self-control, etc., in you. All of this is done for you by faith! You start as a conqueror because Christ ensures your victory over temptation and provides you with His power to cultivate and expand the kingdom of God.
Believers are not the underdogs of this world or this present age. We are not survivors on the defensive waiting to get to heaven. We are conquerors on the offensive as we cultivate our lives in Christ, establish the kingdom of righteousness, joy, and peace in our homes and relationships, and advance the kingdom by bringing others to God through salvation and discipling them to live as conquerors themselves.
Conquerors win and sit down to enjoy the spoils. More than conquerors have a new identity and thereby a new purpose and passion. They expect to overcome because Christ overcame the power of sin, the world, and the enemy. Because conquerors rest in the Father’s love and acceptance, they are NOT looking for peace or love or acceptance from others, circumstances, possessions, or achievement. They are sharing with others how to live from their life hidden above in Christ.
They understand that people cannot meet their emotional needs, nor do people need to meet their needs. They have love and acceptance in God the Father. They are not searching the world for what they already have in Christ. They recognize that only the Church, the body of Christ, has the answer to the world’s ache and confusion. They understand they are the Church. The Church is not a building or a pastor; it is a corporate body that lives as conquerors with a single mission of preaching the gospel and making disciples of all men.
According to Romans 5:17, conquerors have received “the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness to reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Conquerors live from above. By faith, they tap into the supernatural resources of heaven to reign in life and proclaim the mysteries of Christ so that others can know the love and peace and power of God too.
In the words of Edna Mode from the Incredibles movie, “Show them who you are [in Christ.] Go, fight, win!” Amen!
Trusting Him
Theresa Slabbekoorn