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More than Conquerors - Part 1

From time to time, we've all been irritated by Christian songs and Christian talks about how marvellous it is to be a Christian and how happy we all are.

There have probably been occasions you we were sitting in a church meeting (probably near the back) and you've had a row with your marriage partner, and you're worried about your children's futures, and the next gas bill is going to be difficult to pay and your parents have still not come to faith, and the dog's ill and the cat died last week, and you found yourself to be a bit more sinful than you thought you were, and the church don't currently seem to think that you're nearly as wonderful as you do. And some idiot at the front is singing a song about how happy we all are to be here, or he's preaching some pious little talk about how great it is to be a Christian.

And sometimes the verse that's being sung about or preached about is:

Romans 8:37
... we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

And sometimes it's hard to avoid a really cynical response; "Me? More than a conqueror? You have GOT to be joking!" because we don't FEEL like a conqueror, and we don't think that a conqueror would be going through what we're going through.

But the Bible says we are more than conquerors!

The phrase "more than conquerors" translates the single Greek word "hypernikao". This is its only occurrence in the Bible. It's a compound word, from "hyper" - as in hypermarket - and "nikao".

The word "nikao" occurs 28 times in the NT and is translated as "overcomes" (10 times) "overcome" (8) "overcame" (2) "conquer" (1) "conqueror" (1) "conquest" (1) "overpower" (1) "overpowers" (1) "prevail" (1) "triumphed" (1) and "victorious" (1).

So "more than conquerors" means "hyper-conquerors" , or "mega-victorious ones" , or "super-overcomers" .

This might mean it seems even more ridiculous to apply it to yourself right now!

(Incidentally, 17 of the 28 occurrences of "nikao" are in the book of Revelation. This may give you a clue as to what Revelation is really about)

But we are told to overcome - so it must be possible! Romans 12:21 says:
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So let's read Romans 8v37 in context:

Romans 8v28-39
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
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.

Paul knows what he's talking about. He's recounting his own experiences when he talks of "trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword". He's thinking of his own life and those of his friends when he quotes Psalm 44:22, which says "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered". And Paul was certainly a conqueror!

Thus:

Indeed, if you're not facing ANY trials, then something's wrong:

2 Timothy 3v12
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Luke 6v26
Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Let's think about this:

Firstly, let's remember that we believe in a God who is in absolute control of the universe:

Psalm 115v3
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

If God is pleased to send us trials, that's His choice. If he chooses to deliver us from them, that's His choice, too. And, if He chooses not to deliver us from them as soon as we would like, that is also His choice to make.

Secondly, trials are actually good for us - although they don't seem to be:

Hebrews 12v7-11
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

James 1v2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

1 Peter 1v6-7
... you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Romans 5v3-4
...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Thirdly, as we've seen, you can't be a conqueror if you're not in a fight!

To be a super-conqueror, you have
to fight in many battles.

So:

Let's stop thinking that trials are
a sign of God's displeasure.

That's not to say that we'll enjoy these trials - or that we're supposed to; "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful". But we need to understand that they are sent by God and that they are for a good reason.

Trials are sent by God to train us and produce righteousness, peace, faith, perseverance, maturity, completeness, praise, glory and honour (to quote the verses above). But, although this is the clear Biblical teaching, it's so easy to let our trials take mastery over us - tempting us to anger, resentment, drunkenness, cynicism, doubt, and withdrawing from fellowship.

Our trials should be our servants
We must not let them become our masters

We are super-conquerors because the trials will not separate us from the love of God:

We are demonstrated to be super-conquerors when we continue to live as Christians should: we still attend the church meeting; we look to bring glory to His name by singing his praises and by just being there, numbered with the faithful; we still seek to live holy lives despite the trials. We are proving that we still love Him and that we know He still loves us.

So - how do we stand up under trial? How do we conquer the enemy by refusing to be shifted in our faith in and service to Jesus Christ?

Details of these will follow in subsequent columns.

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