Live As An Overcomer

Reflect on God’s Word

What does it mean to be an overcomer?

Brazilian Paralympian swimmer Daniel Dias entered this world in 1989 with only one fully formed limb, his left leg. His arms and his right leg were stunted, leaving him with just one finger on his left hand. He was laughed at by the other children in school. He was called “cripple.”

He says, “When I started school I was the different one, for having the disability. So the children would look, and I would feel embarrassed. I was called names—moments that really hurt—I would arrive home crying many times, and it wasn’t anything easy. It was then that God gave a lot of wisdom to my parents. My mom and my dad would talk a lot with me, and I made a choice in my life: I chose to be happy. And this choice changed my life.”^*

By the time he turned twenty-six, Daniel had won twenty-two medals in swimming and held ten world records for para-athletics.

He knew God had created him for a reason.

So what does it mean to be an overcomer? Here’s what it doesn’t mean: It doesn’t mean you have to perform perfectly, work harder, or be better. It doesn’t mean you have to be successful or look like you have everything together. You don’t have to conquer your fears or climb the highest mountain.

To be an overcomer, you need to abide in Christ because he has overcome the world.

Listen to what Jesus said to his disciples the day before his death, as recorded in John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In this verse, Jesus promises that despite all the failures and trials and difficulties you will face, you can have confidence that the victory over whatever it is you are facing is already yours.

Maybe you struggle with addiction. It has a hold on you that you can’t seem to break. You think it will have power over you forever. Jesus invites you to trust him to overcome your addiction. Sometimes the intervention of professionals is needed if your addiction is chemical, but 1 Corinthians 15:56–57 says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And just before that, in 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

So being an overcomer looks like taking God at his word. If you have the Holy Spirit living within you, you have the power to resist the temptation to give in to sin.

Maybe you have faced a trial you think will never end. Maybe it’s the serious illness of a loved one, or even yourself. Chronic illness and pain take a huge toll. Jesus invites you to rest in the truth of Romans 8:28: “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.”

So being an overcomer looks like trusting that God has not abandoned you, and his plan for you is good because he is good (Psalm 100:5).

Maybe, like Daniel Dias, you were born with disabilities, or you sustained life-altering injuries in an accident, like Joni Eareckson Tada, who became paralyzed from the shoulders down when she fractured her spine. Jesus invites you to trust him as your creator and sustainer. First Samuel 16:7 says, “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Whatever your disability, you are more than able.

Ephesians 3:20–21 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

So being an overcomer looks like leaning into the power of God to do whatever he wants through you. No comparisons, no excuses, nothing holding you back from being all he created you to be.

God does not promise you a life free of difficulties. In fact, Jesus promises that on earth you will have trials and sorrows. But he also promises to be with you in those sorrows, and he invites you to find courage and comfort in his victory moment by moment, day by day.

Release Who You Thought You Were

Jesus wants to bring peace to your heart as you hear his truth. Take a few moments now and ask him to speak straight to you, where you are, and to give you his peace.

Notice your breath moving in and out. Let go of other thoughts, worries, or distractions, and just attend to your breath. Let it grow deeper and slower. Inhale and feel the air moving into your chest and belly, and then exhale slowly, pushing it out. Let your muscles relax. Soften your neck and shoulders. Let them fall. Rest here, just attending to your breath.

Think about someone you know who has trusted in God through difficult circumstances. What did it look like for that person to take God at his word, to trust him, to lean into his power despite going through all kinds of trials?

Name some of the circumstances you would like to overcome. Picture each one as a book. Close each book and put it in a backpack. Now hand that backpack over to Jesus and say, “I trust you with these—all of them—even if things don’t work out the way I want them to.”

Imagine Jesus now taking your bag and giving you a little white bird. It perches on your shoulder and sings comfort and truth to you. That’s the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. Hear Jesus say to you, “I am with you! I will never leave your side.”

Whether you’re able to trust Jesus completely with your difficulties, or whether you’re already trying to take that backpack back—the Father loves you, always has and always will.

Breathe in the peace Jesus offers. You don’t need to work harder or strive to be better to find peace or overcome the trials in your life. All you need to do is abide in Jesus. Immerse yourself in the Scriptures. Spend intentional time in prayer. Surround yourself with like-minded Christians. Jesus is your peace, your worth, your life. In him and with his strength, you have overcome the world.

God, sometimes I feel as if it is all I can do to get out of bed and make it through another day. Overcoming just sounds overwhelming! Thank you for this reminder that Jesus has overcome the world, and I don’t have to. Help me place my trust in Jesus and abide in him as I seek to live into the identity you’ve given me. Thank you for sending Jesus to take on human flesh and to conquer sin and death. Thank you for making a way for me to be united with him. Help me learn to put my confidence in Jesus and not in myself—to lighten my load by abiding in him instead of struggling on my own to find victory. It’s in his strong name I pray, amen.

JOURNAL PROMPT: Think about those circumstances you named above. How have you been trying to overcome them on your own? How would it look to focus on abiding in Christ and letting him strengthen you into an overcomer?