FULL-OVERCOMERS

Jack Davis

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne”– Rev. 3:20-21.

“Even As I Overcame:” May Jesus words comfort our hearts as they did his disciples (Jn. 16:33), “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Is it possible for a child of God to be entirely victorious? Let us take courage, Jesus fully overcame, for us. Even though He was tempted in all points like as we are, He was entirely victorious.

Consider Matthew 4:8-10, “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

In these scriptures we sense how our adversary operates. He would use the world and things therein to distract us from wholehearted worship. Satan would like to see us take a course which is in opposition to our Father’s will. The world’s customs, conditions, and products are not intended to make us wholehearted worshipers. As we get more occupied with the material, and temporal, we become less interested in lovingly serving God. With the command, “Get thee hence!” when Satan came to offer Jesus the kingdoms of the world, He sent him away. Praise God we also can send him packing, resisting him steadfast in the faith. The sword of the spirit is also mighty for us through God. Satan must respect the authority of God’s Word.

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” – Rev. 12:10-11.

All believers overcome in some measure. We each prevail in one aspect of life or other. Yet God has provided that each of us be triumphant in it all. In every area tempted and tested whether body, soul, or spirit. He would have us rise above every obstacle. Many take encouragement from the Word recorded in I Cor. 10:13. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

During our earthly sojourn here we will encounter strong opposition from Satan, the system (komos) of this world, and the self life. The Devil is always stirring the fresh to disobey God’s wonderful powerful, life giving Word. Yet in the face of the prevailing conditions of our day, our surroundings, and in our fallen nature, with all the contrary winds that the prince and power of the air constantly brings against our frail little barque, we may be more than conquerors through Him that loves us.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” I Jn. 5:4-5. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” I Jn. 4:4. “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” I Jn. 2:14.

In considering the forgoing references with their context it is apparent that there are degrees of overcoming, as there are different levels of conflict, and types of reward. Consider Revelation 2 and 3, Where this is especially evident and also II Jn. 8. Today the lax, loose, lukewarm, self-satisfied, Laodicean condition is prevalent, but, praise God the love of some is waxing hot. There seems to be many today like some of the Corinthians that are full and reigning (I Cor. 4:8), but they are filled with the wrong things, and reigning on the wrong thrones. That with which we are filling determines how full overcomers we become.

Spirit, Soul, Body: While we feed on the Living Bread, meditating on His Word, allowing it to flood our being with light and love, He fills our spirit life with His thoughts, instead of our own. I am certain that our adversary is intent upon interjecting his thoughts into whatever capacity we leave scripturally unfilled. We overcome in spirit by “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and by spiritually renewing our mind.” We overcome in our souls by “setting our affection on things above” – Col. 3:1-3. We overcome bodily by bringing it into subjection to the life of Christ, presenting it a living sacrifice, not conforming to the world, but glorifying God therein.

Triune Fulness: Scriptural, spiritual fulness serves to make us full overcomers. “The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;” develops in us as we grow up in Him. “In whom dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily” – Eph. 4:8-15; Col. 2:9-10. God has provided for a completeness, full growth, Christ being formed in us. Gal. 4:19. His purpose that we be conformed to the image of His dear Son – Rom. 8:29.

God tells us “Be ye filled with the Spirit” Eph. 5:18. Jesus said, “He has been with you, He shall be in you.” He is enduement with power from of high. Therefore we are urged to drink Him in, and keep on drinking and filling
(I Cor. 12:13) in a continuous sense, so as to realize His influence, and experience His control in our life.

In Eph. 3:16-21, we are taught about being “filled with all the fulness of God.” This becomes experimental through an intimate knowledge, a heart revelation of the love of Christ. It is a result of the fulness of the life of Christ, and the fulness of the power of the Holy Spirit. He offers us powerful assurance with the precious statement of verse twenty. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be the glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages world without end. Amen.” God would fill the triune man to an overflowing fulness of adoration unto the triune God. This seems essential to becoming full overcomers.

Divine Fulness For An Overcoming Life: He would fill our capacity for looking. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal, For where your treasure is there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, the whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness. No man can server two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon: Mt. 6:20-24.

Thank God we may have a single eye to His glory, as we let Him fill our vision. How wise to allow that which is truly illuminating occupy our sight, consume our attention. If we will let Him anoint our eyes with spiritual eye salve, He will give us clear, unclouded perception. Let Him fill our capacity for learning. Paul prayed that we might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…that we might be fruitful in every good work” – Col. 1:9-10.

Let Him will our capacity for living. “In him we live and move and have our being.” Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. No man liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself…whether we live or die we are the Lord’s. Jesus bore our sins on the cross that we should live unto righteousness, live according to God in the spirit” I Pet. 2:24; 4:6. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ teaches to live godly. Thank God we are alive! To me, the ultimate expression of God filling our capacity for life, is seen in the words of the Apostle Paul; “for me to live is Christ, to die is gain” Phil. 1:21.

He would fill our capacity for loving. When we are spiritually empty and immature we lack that fulness. Read Romans 5:2-8. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Our Lord delights to fill our capacity for lifting. We are equipped not only to rise above our troubles, but also be an encouragement to others.

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be by son” Rev. 21:5-7.

“If God be for us who can be against us.” We overcome because He is with us, because His Spirit is in us, and because we are partakers of our Lord’s victorious life. His life in us is just as triumphant as we will let Him be. Oh, LET Him have his way. What a privilege to let Him overcome in us, making us full overcomers.