Overcoming the World

I John 5:4 - "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."

This is a troubling statement John makes if this benchmark is applied to most of western Christendom. If we take an honest look at the church in America, are we overcoming the world or is the world overcoming us? We can make a lot of excuses why much of the church looks no different than the world. Or, we might say that we are waiting for Jesus Christ to appear to set all things right. Then, we say, the church will overcome the world! It is hogwash to believe that overcoming only happens upon Christ's return. If we are not overcoming now, then something is amiss.

Are we truly born again? We will all struggle against sin in one degree or another whether we are or not. However, if we are not steadily pushing back the enemy then we may want to relook at whether we have truly been born of God. Surrender, repentance, and the power of the Holy Spirit are all characteristics of a believer who is overcoming the world. When God finds spiritual soldiers with these credentials, the world will once again be turned upside down for Jesus.