"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1st John, 5:4, KJV)." This is an astounding verse, for it tells us that by our faith we have the power to overcome anything that the world hurls at us. It is not just any faith, however, but the faith that we have in God, and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which allows us to overcome the world. It is just my opinion, tho shared by many, that John, above all the other disciples, had an understanding of the spirituality of Christ, and of the power enveloped in that spirituality. This verse bears out that belief, as do many others of John’s.

Let’s look at the entire passage from which the one verse, above, was extracted: "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father (God) loves his child (Jesus Christ) as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1st John 5:1-5, NIV)."  Notice that we prove not only our love of God by carrying out His commands, but also our love of his children. The same proof for each. If we love God, and carry out His commands, we will naturally, like an immutable law of physics, love His children! In other words, we cannot love God and carry out His commandments without loving His children as well. 

But now, what does John mean when he says "everyone born of God overcomes the world"? If you believe, as the prosperity ‘gospel’ preachers on television wish us to believe, that this means you’re going to triumph in every wish and desire of your life, then you are missing the boat entirely. No, we overcome the world by virtue of the fact that no matter what adversity, hardship, pain or loss we suffer, Christ is there with us, even unto death. Yes, even in death we overcome the world, for in death we are born to new life! The power in these verses is this: That nothing that is in or of the world can defeat us - ever. Our only defeats come when we allow them. This does not mean that we are not going to suffer the disappointments and heartaches of life; but that the Lord is with us through it all, allowing us to overcome all life’s adversities and adversaries. What an awesome thought! Better still, what an awesome reality for the Believer - for the children of God! "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 

Yours in Christ, Tom Woodard

Sometimes my Cuddin' Charlie's comments on my Musings are just too good not to include here. This is what he said about #43: "How great He is when we overcome what the world has in store for us. We truly recognize His power to empower us through what comes our way. How unimportant the world is when we mature enough to live out this verse."