“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4, NIV). This verse is one of our bulwarks against all that would tear us down! God is all-powerful, and his Spirit lives in us, so we can overcome the world. We have his spiritual power that keeps us focused on love and truth, and no spirit, person, institution, or destructive desire inside or outside of us can cause us to stumble when we stay centered on God’s Spirit who has made us his temple and lighthouse for the world. The passage says we have already overcome the world, past tense. God has done it!
It is true that we will still suffer from forces in the world. They can inflict great pain, but that does not mean they are superior to God’s Spirit in you; you have still overcome the world. The pain can lead us to be more like Christ in our patience and forgiveness. And, God will bless us for our perseverance; “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18, NIV). Thus, we have already overcome the forces in the world, and we keep walking toward our destiny on the New Earth with Jesus and his followers.
Do you think that you have overcome the world through Christ? How does this influence your attitudes and feelings?
