You Are a Conqueror

Did you know that you are a conqueror?  A conqueror is someone who defeats someone or something or one who triumphs after great effort; and the good news of Romans 8:37 is this: "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." What a verse...it is full of hope and promise because it says we ARE, not we will be or we might be, but we already are conquerors.  Not only are we already, but Paul says that we are MORE THAN conquerors - can you tell he was searching for the biggest way to tell us that we have everything we need at our disposal?

There is one key hidden in this verse, and that is the one that tells us where that ability comes from - it comes THROUGH Him (God) Who loved us.  How backwards is that in our society?  God already poured out His love and provision for us to conquer before we needed it - now it is accessible to us.  So, the question is not, "Are we conquerors?" but "What do we need to conquer?"

This is where the application comes in - what is in your daily life right now that you need to conquer?  Is the laundry piled higher than you know how to tackle?  Are the kids fighting so much your head hurts?  Is your husband needing more encouragement than you feel able to give?  Are the bills piling up to the point of what feels like no return?  If any of these things are true for you, then it is time to remind yourself of what the enemy doesn't want you to know - YOU ARE A CONQUEROR!  God has said that He doesn't give us more than we can handle, so as hard as life may feel, with His help we can walk through and overcome those things in our lives that are threatening to overwhelm us.

We may be tempted to think that this verse in Romans only applies to big things or important areas, but I would challenge us that laundry and fights are not little nor unimportant and that God deeply cares about all areas of our lives.  It can feel like those areas of our lives are ours to manage and God's job is to worry about the grander things, but I disagree ~ in fact in James 5:2-5 it is laid out why we have to work through these things and it confirms that God wants to help us.  In the Message version it says, "Consider it a sheer gift (all the laundry, the fights, etc.), friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours.  So don't try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.  If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father.  He loves to help."  Isn't that wonderful - if we don't know what we're doing (that is me, most days) - pray - He loves (and really wants to) help us.

I encourage you today, that if you are feeling overwhelmed, have a chat with God about what you are finding heavy.  Tell Him that you have tried to work out these areas of defeat in your own strength and now see that you need and want to do it in His strength.  Victory may not be instant - but it will come.  Remember that you ARE (already) more than a conqueror THROUGH Him who loved us.