No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:37-39 NIV)
In Paul’s letter to the Romans in Chapter 8, he is trying to tell them that no matter what comes upon them, they will overcome it because they are beyond conquerors because of the love of Christ that should dwell within them. Further, he is telling them that if they are deeply rooted in the love of Christ, nothing or no one can separate them from the love of God.
Paul says in verse 31, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” That verse alone assures you of your salvation and sanctification because no one can stand against what God has already ordained and win. Therefore, whatever or whoever comes your way to try to destroy you will not succeed because God is for you. That makes you more than a conqueror “when the enemy brings it on!”
Obstacles are going to come your way because that is a part of life. Trials and tribulations are not going to take a backseat because God said in 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV), “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
James 1:12 (ESV) declares, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Therefore, as you go through your trials and remain faithful to God, consider yourself blessed.
In Romans 8:28 (ESV), Paul stresses, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” The key word in this verse of Scripture is “all.” This means that everything that you experience, the good and the bad, will work together for your good. “All” things are not going to be perfect, so you must accept the good with the bad, but you will overcome because you are more than a conqueror.
“Life can be so confusing sometimes that we may not know where we are going, what we are doing, and how did we get in the predicament that we are trying to work our way through. Our frustration increases when certain ‘bugs’ or ‘viruses’ [better known as obstacles], hit our lives. The kinds of ‘viruses’ I’m talking about are those that plague the soul and drain the emotions right out of us, such as: marital discord, divorce, prodigal or problem children, work hassles, road rage, grocery store rage, restaurant rage, stand-in-the-line rage, can’t-get-in-the-line rage, ill health, death in the family, financial woes, family squabbles, etc. All these and more contribute to our frustration and confusion in life,” said Pastor Steve Shepherd.
Therefore, if we love the Lord as we confess that we do, these “bugs” and “viruses” will be cured because we are more than conquerors. We shall overcome because the Lord will fight our battles if we turn them over to Him. Christ has overcome the world so that makes us overcomers if we are in Christ Jesus.
These successful people had obstacles that could have kept them from succeeding, but they overcame and conquered their stumbling blocks. So, the next time that you get the feeling that you cannot be a conqueror, think about these success stories:
• Abraham Lincoln suffered from severe depression;
• Oprah Winfrey was abused as a child and ran away from home at age 13;
• Franklin D. Roosevelt lost the use of his legs to polio before becoming president;
• Vincent van Gogh is believed to have suffered from bipolar disorder;
• Helen Keller became deaf and blind when she was 18 months old;
