WE SHALL OVERCOME

“They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Revelation 12:11
Most people go to great lengths to avoid the slightest bit of pain or suffering. Drugstores are full of medications to relieve any discomfort in our lives. The Bible gives a stark contrast between man’s desire to avoid hardship and God’s call for us to suffer. We are even told to rejoice about it! The Scriptures describe being counted worthy to suffer for Christ as a privilege which brings a blessing to us “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21. We must learn the 3 D’s of overcoming our sufferings – Destined, Dare, and Deliverance:
 
Destined: We are destined to suffer due to the great benefits produced in our lives. The fruits of suffering are needed in critical areas of our lives, as shown by the following passages: 1 Peter 1:6-7 – (Pure Life); 1 Peter 4:1-2 – (Pure Life); Hebrews 2:10 and 5:8 – (Perfect Obedience); Romans 5:3-5 – (Perseverance). The Bible says that “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Hebrews 5:8-10 Although we are sons and daughters, God will also let us suffer to bring about similar results in our lives. We cannot be made perfect and the source of eternal life; but we can be made into perfect vessels for God to use in taking his Gospel to a lost world. And let’s be honest, if Jesus had to suffer to learn obedience, how much more for us to learn obedience! We need to recognize the benefits of suffering and stop avoiding the very situations which will help us to grow spiritually. We should have the same attitude as the apostles who rejoiced because they were considered worthy to suffer for Jesus (Acts 5:41). Paul wanted to suffer so he could relate more to Christ (Philippians 3:10) and was willing to suffer to relate more to the lost (1 Corinthians 9:22). Jesus had even inspired Paul to be willing to die!
 

Dare: The apostle Paul chose to live the daring life of an evangelist which was his calling. What is our calling? Disciple or not, we all suffer. As Christians, we must learn to live with pain, hurt, and grieve with a peace “which transcends all understanding” and “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:7) Suffering for Christ is not just the hardships we feel due to illnesses, disabilities, or even the consequences of our own sin. Rather, the more practical sufferings we experience as Christians is due to our calling. Few of us actually die for our faith. So how will we suffer?

• Self Denial: We struggle with our sinful, selfish nature as we surrender to God’s will and to the work of God.
• Service: Most service forces us out of our comfort zones to give to others.
• Sacrifice: Suffering causes sacrifice to carry a high price tag.
• Discipline: Correction is unpleasant as we face the truth and consequences of our lives.
• Concern: When we love people, their suffering becomes our suffering.
• Persecution: Everyone who is a real disciple will suffer some persecution as he impacts his surroundings. No one is exempt from Satan’s retaliation.

 
Deliverance: Praise the Lord that our suffering will not last forever. God will deliver us after a little while. (1 Peter 5:10) We are assured by the examples in the Word that God is faithful to rescue His people. (James 5:10-11) Consider Ezekiel and Job who realized deep pains for their faithfulness to God. Ezekiel lost his wife and was called to live in the streets for over a year to communicate God’s message. He saw the benefits of hard times regardless of the source. Job is an inspiration as he stated, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) Yet, Christ’s resurrection is the greatest proof of God’s deliverance. (Philippians 2:5-11) We must decide momentary afflictions are worthwhile as preparation for heaven. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17) We are destined to suffer in this life but God is faithful to bring deliverance. Who among us will dare to follow the example of Paul or Christ and suffer the cause? What is the glory of suffering – being totally Christ-like and having an impact like Jesus. After learning the 3 D’s, we can move on to the full life that can only be found in Christ.
 
Christianity provides a full life of challenge and adventure. We are sending so many out on the mission field to win this world for Christ. The members of their churches cheer on every departing missionary. Their homes are fortresses of strength, which will continue to provide support year-after-year. The ministry and house church meetings are filled with faces who are supportive and obedient in working side by side seeking and saving the lost in their own city. Yet, those left behind can often get caught up in their own challenges that they can forget about the challenges of truly going anywhere, doing, anything, and giving up everything for Christ. From my own experience, I can tell you the real challenge comes when you must leave these surroundings and face the same challenges of life in new surroundings. The cheering of the church will not be heard. The support of brothers and sisters will not be felt. Your faith will be tested and in the end you will know where you stand with God. You leave behind challenges of ministry, family, finances, and leadership. Yet ahead are unseen pressures of spending days, months, and years in an unfamiliar city with your closet friends thousands of miles away. One might ask, “What do we do with these overwhelming challenges?” “How can we defeat Satan?” The answer: Inhale, remember Jesus is Lord, and let out a few heartfelt resonant tones of “We Shall Overcome.” The Bible teaches in Revelation 12:11 though Satan hovered near our brothers in the first century, they overcame him. The hope of Martin Luther King’s words should give us hope: “Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne, yet behind it in the dim unknown standeth God keeping watch above His own!” We need to keep our eyes on God and His plan to have confidence, conversions and commitment
 
Confidently Overcoming: We must all develop a relationship with God which goes beyond our morning quiet times. Revelation 12:11 states that the blood of the lamb will help us to overcome. This is the conviction that God is forever with us! He washes us clean of our sins through the blood in the hope we will be able to know His intense love and desire for us through the sacrifice of His own Son. As Jesus continued in the work, we must and always give ourselves fully to the work (1 Corinthians 15:58) and live in confidence that God will fight and win this great war!
Fruitfully Overcoming: Another lesson from Revelation 12:11 is what we can overcome through the Word. When we resist Satan through the preaching of the Word, he will flee. Real disciples are like “walking Bibles”. They know the Word, use it to battle Satan, use it to help each other and they use it to preach to the lost. If we stop observing the condition of society with unbelieving eyes and preach the solution God provides, we will convert the world! You do not have to overcome a converted world!
Sacrificially Overcoming: We are called to sacrifice money, time and personal desires for the sake of the Kingdom. At times, this becomes our greatest struggle. Overcoming yourself can be the greatest obstacle you face in gaining spiritual victory. That is why the final instruction from Revelation 12:11 is that we be willing to give up our lives, go anywhere, do anything and give up everything for the cause. The longer you live the greater the suffering
God allows in your life to make you his perfect vessel.        We shall overcome!