More than Conquerors
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us!" Romans 8:37
Can anything separate a believer from Christ? Paul had supposed some of the worst things that could happen—some of the most horrible evils that could be endured; but he will not admit that any, or all of these, have the power. Being united to Christ by the Spirit, that bond can never be broken. Being a part of Christ, as a member of his body, he will not allow us to be amputated. No enemies, however numerous—no trials, however great—no sufferings, however severe, can sever us from Jesus! To the supposition that they can, Paul triumphantly exclaims, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us!" (Romans 8:37).
We May Be Sorely Tried. Many are the afflictions of the righteous.
Some are much tried in the BODY, with painful diseases and physical infirmities. They seldom eat with pleasure, and have but little enjoyment of temporal things. The nerves are sources of fear—and the muscles are seats of pain!
Others are much troubled in MIND—harassed with doubts and fears; tormented with jealousy and suspicion; hindered and hampered by unbelief. They have a daily conflict within, between the law in the members and the law of the mind. They would do good; but evil principles hinder them. They would be entirely holy; but carnal thoughts, earthly desires, and the working of a sinful imagination, prevent them.
Others are tried most in the FAMILY circle. An ungodly husband is the trial of a godly wife. A worldly wife is the trial of a spiritually-minded husband. Wild or perverse children try Christian parents. Few are the families in which a wandering Dinah or a treacherous Absalom is not to be found! How many believing parents find in the family circle their heaviest cross!
Others find the WORLD the source of their bitterest sorrows—its unprincipled conduct, or its persecuting spirit; competition in business, heavy losses, and bitter disappointments. The poor man needs employment, or is not properly remunerated for the work he does. His family is large—and his income small; his needs are many—and his sources of supply few and insignificant. The merchant is tried on sales, the tradesman in the market, the labourer in the field or warehouse, and the servant in her situation.
All are not tried in the same way, or to the same degree—but all are tried.
To some the CHURCH is a source of deep affliction:
its divisions and disagreements;
its inactivity and lukewarmness;
its worldliness and lack of spirituality;
its selfishness and carnality.
Nor are the troubles of the believer brief—they continue long, and even seem often to increase—the further the pilgrim progresses. So perplexing, so wearying, and so depressing often is the hardness of the way—that he wonders where the scene will end.
Can Our Trials Sever Us from Christ? Can any one trial do so? No! Can any number of our trials do so? No! Can all supposable trials, meeting and uniting, do so? No! Our union to Christ is so strong, so durable, that nothing shall be able to separate us from him. Nay, in the very midst of them—we triumph; as says the apostle, "Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ!"
The spirit of the true Christian, as living upon Christ, and in union with Christ, is indomitable. It cannot be subdued—or conquered! Notwithstanding all that we may be called to suffer, however numerous our foes, however feeble our powers—still we are privileged to cry, "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" Blessed thought! we shall overcome every difficulty; we shall conquer every foe; and when earth and hell have done their worst against us—we shall triumph in the glorious presence of our God and Lord forever!
We Not Only Conquer—but MORE than Conquer. We keep what we have, and gain by all our conflicts. We have victory—without loss. Some conquer—but lose their limbs, or eye-sight, or something dear unto them; but we lose nothing—we are gainers by all we endure!
We gain holiness, which is God's design in all he sends, or permits to happen to us. We become unearthly, heavenly-minded, and fitted for the inheritance of the saints in light; or, in Paul's words, we are "made partakers of his holiness."
We gain happiness. At times our sweetest enjoyments are when we are in conflict with self, the world, and sin. After a victory, our joys are often great, our gratitude profound, and our thanksgivings unto God abundant.
We gain courage, until, perhaps, we become bold and undaunted—facing our foes, and, in the prospect of the very worst they can do, exclaiming, "None of these things move me!"
We gain renown: so all the Lord's valiant soldiers have—one becoming renowned for his faith, another for patience, another for fortitude, another for meekness, another for love—and all for their attachment to their Lord and his cause.
We shall have a reward—every one that overcomes will be rewarded by Jesus, with some special token of his love—some peculiar mark of his approval. We not only conquer—but triumph, and take the spoil—we increase the weight of glory. What wondrous words are these of the apostle, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal!" 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
We conquer—because God loves us, and is with us; for God is ever with those he loves, in a special and peculiar manner.
We conquer through him who loved us—through his Spirit, which he gives us; which Spirit is a source of life, light, and comfort to us. The Spirit in the believer is greater than all that is in the world; therefore he overcomes.
We conquer through the strength he imparts to us, which is always according to our day. The more the foes—the more the strength which God gives! The greater the conflict—the greater the strength given us to endure it!
We conquer through his love, which he sheds abroad in our hearts, and which becomes a powerful principle within us. This love is as strong as death. It is unconquerable! It never has been destroyed—and it never will be!
We conquer through his promises, which support and animate us—precious promises—scattered through God's most blessed book! Precious promises—applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit! How they encourage us, in the cloudy and dark day! How they stimulate us, when tempted to flag and relax our efforts! How they fortify us, when the enemy comes in like a flood! How they strengthen and embolden us, when we are weak and ready to faint!
With God's Spirit within us,
with his strength made perfect in our weakness,
with his love cheering and animating us, and
with his precious promises to strengthen and sustain us,
is it any wonder that we are conquerors—yes, more than conquerors, through him who loved us? Through him we can do all things, bear all things, believe all things, and become more than victorious!
Nothing can alienate Jesus from us, nor us from Jesus. His love is determinedly set upon us, and never can be diverted from us. His union with us is so firm, and so sure, that nothing can ever affect it.
His love to us is most tender—no mother's love can compare with it.
His love to us is so constant—that nothing can divert or turn it aside. It is always in operation for us—repelling our foes, or securing for us the choicest blessings.
His love to us is transcendent—it has heights to which we have never soared; depths which we have never fathomed; lengths and breadths which we have never travelled!
Yes, His love to us unfathomable! Wondrous love—of a more wondrous Saviour! Source of my happiness, object of my faith, and subject of my most profitable meditations!
Union to Christ gives us life, and a determination to preserve it. Because he lives, we shall live also: and we desire to live, and to live forever with him; therefore we are prepared to part with anything, and everything, rather than let go our hold of him. Besides this, it places us under his protection. As the head is concerned for the protection of every member of the body, so is Jesus concerned for the protection of all his people. He could part with his life for them—but he can never part with them; yes, to part with them would be to part with his body, his flesh, and his bones.
Our triumph is from Christ's love to us—rather than from our love to him. "He has loved us," says the apostle—not merely, he does love us. He has always loved us; he does still love us; he ever will love us. Blessed be his holy name, we know it, for he has told us so; and in our deepest trials, in our sorest afflictions, we can say, "He loved me—and gave himself for me!"
Divine love is eternal love—it is unchangeable love. Jesus having loved us in the past—is a guarantee that he will love us in the future. Every believer overcomes: "For whoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world—but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" True faith always overcomes; and every believer has faith: therefore every believer overcomes. Every Christian is in the hand of Christ, in the hand of his invincible power; and is loved with the love of his heart, which is infinite love. A believer may be overcome for a time; but he will recover himself and conquer. Like Gad, a troop may overcome him—but he shall overcome at the last. His will be the victory. He shall take the spoil.
Among men there may be victory—but no advantage thereby; yes, there may be victory with loss. The victory, as in David's case once, may be turned into mourning (2 Sam. 19:2). But with us it will be better than if we had never suffered. We shall gain by all we endure—by all we pass through. The pains of earth—will sweeten the joys of heaven! The trials of time—will heighten the joys of eternity! We shall look back on the constancy of a Saviour's love, and it will endear him yet more to our hearts. We shall reflect on our conflicts, and be fired with unspeakable love and gratitude for our victories.
In every trouble and sorrow, under all my pains and sufferings, may I never forget that, for every well-managed trial, and for all the pains I patiently endure—I shall be the better in eternity. Never, then, let me repine at my trials, complain of my troubles, or think that God deals harshly with me when in pain; but rather let me rejoice in the assurance that I shall be a conqueror, and more than a conqueror, through him who has loved me.
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