The letters written to the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2,3) show an historical microcosm of the church universal in the first century. Pick any seven churches of that era and there would be many similarities with this seven. That could also be said of any seven churches of the Lord today. Faithful churches, weak and struggling churches, churches on the verge of dying, sound churches with faithful members, weak churches with a few faithful members et.al. There was a war going on and there is a war going on. Membership in the church does not eliminate the private battles of life and neither does it eliminate the battles of the collective whole. The group to which we belong has an influence upon us and we have an influence upon the group.
The challenges facing the seven congregations in Asia were as follows: Ephesus was to overcome losing their first love. Smyrna was to overcome the threat of persecution. Pergamos was to overcome the toleration of false doctrine, as was Thyatira. Sardis had to overcome complacency, Philadelphia, opposition, and Laodicea was to overcome self-sufficiency. The word for “overcome” is nikao which lexicons define as to be victorious, come off victor, conquer. These are present participles – verbal adjectives – the “overcoming ones” or the “victorious ones”. So we learn it is possible to free ourselves of the corruption of the world. According to Rev. 2:17 we can live in the very abode of Satan, “sin city”, where it is poisoning the church and yet overcome him. The overcomer may die for his faith yet still be an overcomer (2:11). He is the one who remains faithful whether it be in the face of temptation to immorality, indifference, or persecution. Sometimes the promise is an assurance their present blessings will continue (3:12,21), or they will enjoy a deeper participation in those blessings. It may be the promise of new blessings (2:10). Each blessing must be looked at according to its own nature.
Overcoming implies that life is a battle. We long for peace – long to be able to lay down one’s arms, take off the armour and rest. But Jesus drew his sword on the banks of the Jordan and threw away the scabbard (Alex Campbell I think) – it would be a fight till the end. An old songs says, We get weary and sick of trying, tired of living and afraid of dying. Why can’t the battle be fought, won and done with? It will be one day but at the moment there are enemies within and without; effort is required, and we will either overcome or be overcome.
After the debacle in the garden, God promised that there would be conflict from then on (Gen. 3:15). This war will go on whether we fight or not, whether we ignore it or not. If we don’t fight we shall be carried off (Col. 2:8; 18,19). To surrender will involve us in greater difficulties – for ourselves and for our descendants. It is a great thing for a child to be able to say of his parents, grandparents, “They were overcomers, victors”. The way of the transgressor is hard, but what about Ps. 73:5? (they are not in trouble like other men or plagued as other men). Satan is prepared to give up ten metres if he can gain 100 metres in the end. He doesn’t want to treat all people like Job: he wants some wicked people to be rich, fat, happy and healthy so that he can induce others to be attracted to that wickedness. It’s been very successful for him. How many people gamble because they heard about a guy who bought a $2 ticket and won 2 million? How many smoke and drink because they know this bloke who drank and smoked all his life and died at 100? You know the drum. But the exception proves the rule – how? Because they are exceptions not the rule!
But, as I am saying, we live in a world of conflict and pressure. The suffocating power of this is seen in a statement by Jesus in Matt.24:12,13…..because iniquity shall abound……. The presence of evil in the lives of professed Christians may disillusion some and destroy their faith. Others may be overwhelmed by the presence of evil and indifference in the world. What to do? Truth is not made a lie because people ignore it (eg. smoking is bad for one’s health but millions ignore this fact). Because others don’t pursue good health shall we become unhealthy? If we give up we become part of the problem instead of part of the answer. By our indifference and disobedience we shall discourage yet others. We shall not influence people for Christ if we ourselves turn from Christ. If we perservere we shall save some sooner or later.
We are soldiers – more than that we are volunteers. What did we volunteer for? To fight the good fight of faith. So then 1 Pet. 4:12-16! We are soldiers for the duration, Christ releasing us from active duty in death. We are not in the reserves, but we are all in combat roles. We get some injuries and we get some scars but to lose a battle is not to lose the war.
Life is a battle that can be won. Thousands upon thousands have won the battle. One person makes a difference. You make a difference. Of all the creatures God made we are the great experiment in freedom – not animals, not angels – but us. God has chosen to work out the Scheme of Redemption using people as servants. That makes Him vulnerable.
Noah made a difference. Abraham made a difference. And a lot of others made a difference too. Those 7000 nameless Israelites who were faithful in the time of Elijah made a difference. And so the nation was preserved till the time of Joseph and Mary, and they made a difference. How vulnerable God made Himself – a baby left in the care of of two of the “little people” in a world of wickedness, a world so wicked Satan is called the god of this world. And God didn’t protect him by miracle like He did Elijah at the brook and like Elisha at Dothan. No, when Herod came calling they fled to Egypt. Their names appeared on a census form in Bethlehem – his name may may have been on the front of the shop in Nazareth – “Proprietor – Joseph bar Jacob”, but they were little people as far as the world is concerned but we know them as overcomers. And the Son they raised overcame the Devil and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and because He overcame we can overcome. Be of good cheer He says as He is about to step out into the night into the Garden of Gethsemane and be betrayed into the hands of ruthless men who will run Him through a kangaroo court and kill Him on a cross! He says I have overcome the world, though it appears the world overcame Him. But it’s not all of life to live and it’s not all of death to die. It was in and through death that he overcame. He says this to them to let them know what the world is like and what it will take to overcome the world: it is a serious business, a fight to the death. He knows His disciples live in the world and eat their bread by the sweat of their brow and live among wicked people – as a citizen a Christian may live under a tyrant, and he may live under oppressive and persecuting laws, which interfere with his rights as a man and as a Christian. As a member of the church he may have more than one Judas to deal with. The disciple lives in a world filled with ignorance, carnality, selfishness, pride, hypocrisy, bigotry, intolerance. The disciple may have to deal with men who even deem it is a sacred duty to take away his life. According to Luke 12:4 we are not to fear those who can kill the body – is that the worst thing the world can do to us? Not at all. Jesus said that after they do that there is nothing else they can do. The worst thing the world can do is seduce us away from Christ. When Jesus died and rose again He showed that we can overcome, even in death.
Jesus never sinned, though He was tempted in all ways, thus proving He was superior to the world. Those in Him, the Captain of our salvation, who fight the world have His presence with them. His substitution is theirs, His example is theirs, His good cheer is theirs and His conquest will be theirs. And when he said in Matt.28:20, I am with you always, He throws all He said and did and does and will do into the balance on the side of the disciple and so we know the result – certain victory over the world. For what is the world? Nothing more than the attempts by the Devil to keep us out of Heaven. But when Jesus went to the cross He defeated him who had the power of death, that is, the Devil (Heb. 2:14).
We’re in a cause worth fighting for. Why did men rush to join up when Hitler started WW11 in Europe and Japan started advancing down into Indo-China? It was a cause worth fighting for. Some lied about their age and hid medical conditions – why? They considered it was a vital cause and wanted to be a part of it. Love a good fight? Get in the good fight! We’re in the good fight of faith. It’s worth fighting for: it makes a difference here – evil triumphs when good men do nothing. Ten righteous people would have saved Sodom from being destroyed. “Salt of the earth” preserves it. Even a small candle is seen in the darkest night. It makes a difference eternally – what price your soul? God thought it was worth something and paid a price for it. God fought for you – will you fight for you? Will you fight for Him? They overcame by the blood of the lamb (Rev. 12:11). There was a time when Satan thought all he had to do to condemn a person was to get them to sin once. He didn’t plan on God sending His Son. Now all he can do is to get us to love sin more than Christ and so give up on Christ. Christ fights for us – we don’t fight alone. Christ leads the army (Rev. 19:11ff), so who can be against us (Rom.8:31)? Those with us are greater than those against us.
Life is a battle that can be won and in winning there is glory (Rev. 21:7). We must keep our eyes on the prize (Rom. 8:18), and have short term goals that lead in that direction. If I drive to Townsville, the first day I drive to Rockhampton. Is Rockhampton the destination? No, but to get there means I’m on the way. The journey is harder without milestones along the way. Jesus taught us to live in day-tight compartments, because we can fight for a day – and another day – and another day. We can overcome (1 Pet1:3-9). We can win! He gives us the will to win and if you have the will to win by abiding in Him nobody can pluck you out of His hand (John 10:28,29).
May we all be overcomers, and hear on that day, “Well done, good and faithful servant:.