One thing is clear from the Word of God, Christians will face tough and trying times. You won’t be exonerated from trials because you love God or are a worker in your church. Jesus said in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Troubles, hard and uncomfortable times will come, but Jesus has made us more than a conqueror over them. Romans 8:35,37 tells us that tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or the sword can’t separate us from the love of Christ. In all these hardship and difficulties of life, we are more than conquerors.
Jesus in the parable of the sower points out to us that there are some Christians who have no roots. They aren’t rooted in Christ. They are surface Christians; they are here today, gone tomorrow. They aren’t more than conquerors over trials and challenges of lives. Trials of life bring out their true colour; trials of life show that they don’t have the capacity to stand for God when tested and tempted. Matthew 13:20-21 says “The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away”. A believer who is more than a conqueror stands not falls away. He stands because he has deep roots in Christ and the Word. His faith, love and commitment to God doesn’t wither when life gets rough and tough. He stands in spite of all he has been through or is going through. He stands when others are falling away. He stands in faith, stands on the finished work of Christ, stands on the Word and promises of God, stands in victory.
To stand for Christ is to continue to endure, persevere and persist in the Christian race notwithstanding how hard it gets along the way. Standing is the posture of a believer who is more than a conqueror.
The devil loves to see people bowed down in shame and defeat, not standing firm and strong. The way Satan operates is to get people to bow or fall for sin. He started it with Adam and Eve, he is still very much at it today. Satan wants people to bow down and worship him to get money, power, fame and popularity. He had the effrontery to tell Jesus to bow down to him and he would give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory (Matthew 4:8-10). The devil also uses sickness and diseases to afflict, oppress and get people bowed down in pain and distress.
In Luke 13:11-12, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not in any way raise herself because of the activities of the spirit of infirmity. Imagine all the suffering she had been through all these years until Jesus loosed her from the spirit of infirmity that had kept her bent over. The devil will use sickness and all manner of backbreaking satanic engineered afflictions and problems to attack people so they can’t think straight, stand straight and look straight at Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith for strength and direction.
Living as a conqueror is maintaining your position in Christ, the position of a victor not a victim. It is to resist the devil not succumb to his tricks and tactics. It is to take a stand against sin. It is get back up when you fall and not allow the devil keep you down on the ground. It is to stand firm in the Lord when trials and tribulations come. It is to let God run and rule your life so your life doesn’t crumble and fall to pieces during hard and difficult times.
After situations of life and the devil have thrown everything possible at you, you should still be found standing on your feet because you are more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you and has given you the victory on the cross (Romans 8:37, Ephesians 6:13).
To keep standing like the conqueror you are, when life gets challenging, always remember that thorns have roses, rocks harbor diamonds. Don’t back out and bow down in defeat when painful and hard times come your way or you may miss the beautiful thing God has prepared for you in the ‘ugly’ and rugged side of life.