There are three areas where we have to overcome in life: (1) the Devil – by the Word of God, (2) the Flesh – by the Spirit of God, and (3) the World’s System – by our faith. These three areas are the roots of all problems and difficulties we face in this life, but thank God when we know the enemy’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11) we can combat them every time and win!
Main Point
Nuggets of Truth
With every revelation comes responsibility. To fail to assume that responsibility the revelation will die.
Nugget of Truth
With every revelation comes responsibility. To fail to assume that responsibility the revelation will die.
Nugget of Truth
Satan can not do anything to you apart from fear anymore than God can do anything for you apart from faith.
Nugget of Truth
Fear and faith are forces going in the same direction. They both have power to bring into being that which does not exist. Fear is just perverted faith.
Nugget of Truth
Man’s spiritual life will never rise above the revelation of A Word (from God.)
Nugget of Truth
Faith will not function beyond obedience.
Nugget of Truth
Confession
Heavenly Father, We confess the very presence of Christ in the room and in our lives. He is with us today in His Word. He is with us today in His Name. And we have it on our lips. Because of this, I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I am the righteousness of God. I am an heir of God. He is with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We have, in our bodies, the resurrection Power of Jesus. We hold it in our hands. We have it in our Hearts. We are partakers of His nature. We are members of His Household. We are what He says we are. Thank God, He is our Shepherd and we do not want. We are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, and as His fellowship with the Father is pure so is mine for we are sons and daughters of God Almighty. Heavenly Father, we give thanks unto the Lord today for He is good and His mercy endureth forever. – Amen.
Our Primary Text
He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
Revelation 21:7 KJV
Introduction
Turn with me to Matthew 22:23. Here we see some Sadducees that came to question Jesus.
23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
27 And last of all the woman died also.
28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Matthew 22:23-32 KJV
The Sadducees missed it because they did not know the Word. If we are not diligent we also can miss it when we don’t know the Word. I believe that as we open our hearts and minds to His Word today that our lives will be changed and we will not leave here like we came.
Most people I know have a list of do’s and don’t as long as their arm. They say, “If I can just walk by this list then I will overcome in this life and God might just accept me”. They are like the Sadducees because they do not know the times in which they live and the laws that govern the time.
In the Old Testament, God gave them the law and everyone looked forward to the Messiah and they tried to do the best that they could by keeping the 10 commandments.
But since Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, we can no longer walk by the ten commandments. Instead, we are to walk by the law of love.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love another.
John 13:34 KJV
Jesus said that he came not to do away with the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). When we walk in love, we will automatically “keep” the commandments.
If that is true, then why didn’t God just tell the Israelites to just walk in love? He could have saved them a whole lot of trouble. The reason is, they did not have God’s love in their hearts, so they could not walk in His love. Instead, they were natural men walking after their 5 physical senses. In the old testament, Holy Spirit only came upon the King, the Priest, and the Prophet.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:24 KJV
Ever since Jesus became the first begotten from the dead, we now become new creatures in Christ Jesus when we become born again. Romans 5:5 tells us that the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
You can not take the dispensation of the law and try to use its rules to walk in the dispensation of grace.
You can not take the dispensation of the law and try to use its rules to walk in the dispensation of grace. Since we live in the dispensation of grace, we must walk with the rules that govern the dispensation of grace. The dispensation of grace is ruled by the Holy Spirit. You must have a revelation of the Word deposited in to your spirit to walk in it.
By the power of the Holy Spirit at the new birth we are now more than conquerors. We are now in Christ and old things are past away, behold all things have become new. (II Corinthians. 5:17). We are now the righteousness of God in Christ. (II Corinthians 5:21) Righteousness means that we are now in right standing with God. At the new birth, He has restored to us the relationship and the fellowship that Adam had with God.
We read Revelation 21:7, but there are other scripture verses that have a lot to say about being an overcomer. In Revelation 3:12 we also read.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Revelation 3:12 KJV
If we are to be an overcomer, we must first understand the times in which we live.
In Matthew 8, Jesus entered a ship and headed to the country of the Gergesenes and there he met two possessed with devils. In verse 29 they called out (the devils) and said, “What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?”
The devils were trying to plead their case with God. They were really saying, “Hey, you do not have the right to be here at this time. Our time on this earth is not up yet. You should not even be allowed to have any authority here.” The devils asked to go into the pigs that were nearby and Jesus said go. Did you ever wonder why Jesus did not just cast the devils in the pit of hell so that they could not bother anyone else? Jesus could not do that because they still have a right to be here because their time is not up yet.
Jesus paid the price for you and me and then sat down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). He sat down at the right hand of the Father because His part is finished and he has given us the tools and the authority to break the devil’s power in our realms of authority. His work is completed and now He lives to intercede for us.
Jesus came before Adam’s lease was up and deposited himself in us. Now when we accept Jesus, He makes us righteous and restored our authority back to us. The devil’s power is broken. Genesis 3:15 is fulfilled in that the seed of the woman has bruised his head.
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
Hebrews 2:6-8 KJV
This really is saying, In the age of grace in which we live, there is still time left until we see the complete manifestation of all things put under His feet. He has already won the battle over satan, but now He just has to be patient until Adam’s lease is up.
Until that time we are commissioned to Go and spread the Gospel so that none should perish. (Mark 16:15.)
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Hebrews 2:9-11 KJV
5 Therefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, “Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not have, but a body hast Thou prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, ‘Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God.’”
8 Above when He said, “Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings, and offering for sin Thou wouldest not have, neither hadst pleasure therein” (which are offered in accordance with the law),
9 then said He, “Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God,” He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.
10 By this will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering time and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down at the right hand of God,
13 from henceforth to wait until His enemies be made His footstool.
14 For by one offering He hath perfected for ever those who are sanctified.
15 Of this the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us; for after He had said before,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19 Having therefore boldness, brethren, to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living Way, which He hath consecrated for us through the veil (that is to say, His flesh),
21 and having a High Priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful who promised),
24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching.
26 For if we sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 10:5-26 KJV
These scriptures out of Hebrews are making reference to Jeremiah 31:33. It is here that God said that he would put his law in their inward parts, and write them in their hearts.
Basically, God is referring to the new birth. In the Old Testament they were not born again. Did you ever notice that when you were born again your “want to” changed. Why is that? Because when you are born again you are put back into the family of God and your spirit is now alive unto God. At this point Romans 5:5 says that the love of God is now shed abroad in your heart.
As Jesus waits for all things to be put under Him, let’s look at what we are to do with what he has given us.
In everything, there is always God’s part and man’s part. So if Jesus overcame sin and the devil, what more is there to overcome?
The legal side of redemption has been taken care of. That is God’s part. On the other hand, the vital side is our part. Since we know what Jesus has done for us at the cross, we are an overcomer for we are seated together with Him in the heavenlies. We can take what he has already done, and apply it in our lives.
In the next few minutes I want to look at, “Who is the overcomer and what does he overcome?” As we study these things, I believe that our hearts and minds will be enlightened and we will know how to be an overcomer.
As a Christian, there are 3 areas to overcome.
- The Devil – We overcome the Devil by the Word.
- The Flesh – We overcome the flesh by the Holy Spirit.
- The World’s System – We overcome the world’s system by our faith
Don’t try to overcome the devil with your faith because he is subject, and will only come into subjection to the Word.
Don’t try to overcome the powers of the flesh by the Word because this carnal fleshly nature of ours will only yield to the power of the Spirit of God.
Don’t try to overcome the power of the world by the power of the Holy Spirit because the power of this world (or the world system) will only yield to the power of active living creative faith in God and His Word.
If we get any one of these three out of their working order then we are in trouble. This is why it is important to analyze where our trouble is coming from.
Let’s take a closer look at these 3 things.
#1 The Devil – We overcome the Devil by the Word.
In our personal life, how is the devil going to come? The devil always comes with thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. II Corinthians 10:2-6 tells us that when he comes we need to cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself … taking every thought captive.
Have you ever heard someone say, “Pray that I have enough faith to overcome the devil.”? What are they doing trying to fight the devil? Our fight is not with the devil, Jesus already whipped him. Our fight is simply the fight of faith.
When the tempter came to Adam in Eve in the garden, Eve did not take the thoughts captive. Instead she acted on those thoughts.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Luke 4:3-4 KJV
After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. It says that the Spirit led him into the wilderness. He was full of the Holy Ghost and no doubt the Holy Ghost was showing things to him in the scriptures.
Let’s see how Jesus dealt with the devil in Luke 4.
The first temptation was to turn the stone into bread.
3 And the devil said unto Him, “If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.”
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
Luke 4:3-4 KJV
The second temptation was to bow down to the devil. He showed him the kingdoms of the world and said that if Jesus worshiped him, all of it would be his.
7 If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine.”
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Get thee behind Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’”
Luke 4:7-8 KJV
Once again Jesus used the Word on the devil.
The third temptation was to tempt the Lord.
9 And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple and said unto Him, “If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from hence.
10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee,’
11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’”
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, “It is said, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’”
Luke 4:9-12 KJV
Jesus overcame Satan by the Word of God. If you notice, Jesus didn’t try anything else when he was confronted by satan. Jesus always told satan “It is written”.
The devil only listens to the Word of God on the lips of a believer. The Word of God must become “A” word to the believer and then spoken for the devil to hear.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7 KJV
It is our place to remind the devil that he is a defeated foe by saying to the devil, “It is written”.
#2 The Flesh – We overcome the flesh by the Holy Spirit.
What is the flesh? When I say flesh what do I mean? I mean your body with its five physical senses. According to I Thessalonians 5:23 you are 3 parts: Spirit, Soul, and Body.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 5:23 KJV
Your spirit is the real you that becomes born again when you receive Jesus.
Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions that must be renewed by you to God’s Word.
Your body is your fleshly earth suite. It has not been redeemed yet. It will not be changed until the last trump (I Corinthians 15:52).
The flesh, the carnal part of man can only be conquered by the power of the spirit of God. Now we overcome the flesh by the Spirit.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
Romans 8:1-3 KJV
So what are the works of the flesh?
16 I say then: Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18 But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
The spirit of God is the only thing that can deal with the flesh.
Did you ever notice that the strong desires of the flesh fade away in the presence of God? Until we die or our body is changed (I Corinthians 15:52) at the last trump, the flesh will always be there. The flesh was not born again when you got saved. But the law of life in Christ Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and death. It does not do away with it. It just supersedes it.
It is kind of like flying an airplane. The law of lift and thrust supersedes the law of gravity. It does not do away with gravity it just over rides it.
Once you are born again, it is up to you to control the flesh. This is how we work out our own salvation.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12 KJV
You are not working your way to heaven because Jesus already did that work. But now you are going to have to take what He did and gave to you at the new birth in your spirit and work it out in your soul and body.
The apostle Paul talks about 3 types of men: the natural, the carnal, and spiritual man.
- The Natural man is the one that has not been born again. He is totally ruled by his flesh. His moto is “if it feels good. Do it.”
- The Spiritual man is born again and walks in the Spirit. The things that he does are a reflection of God. He is out to please God and not himself. His spirit man is the driving force in his life. He has taken every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. He has been transformed by the renewing of his mind. He does not let his flesh rule him.
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
I Peter 4:1 KJV
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God
- The carnal man is the one who is born again but still lets his flesh rule him. The Bible calls them babes in Christ.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I Corinthians 3:1 KJV
#3 The World’s System – We overcome the world’s system by our faith
God has given to every man among you, at the new birth, the measure of faith. The exercise of this God–given faith is the only thing that will deliver us from the materialistic system, called the world. It is the world’s system. It is a system to keep you in slavery and bondage. The spirit of the world will try to get its grip on you so you will be a puppet on a string and not be God’s man.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
I John 5:4 KJV
Who controls the world’s system?
II Corinthians 4:4 calls the devil the god of this world.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
II Corinthians 4:4 KJV
The whole world system is geared to keep you in debt to it. It will steal your peace if you let it. As long as we are controlled by the world’s system, you will fight with each other and have family troubles.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
I John 2:15-17 NKJV
But here is the key: He who does the will of God abides forever. You can not serve God and money. Mathew. 6:24 – {You Cannot Serve God and Riches ] “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Now listen closely, Money is not wrong in itself. It is only wrong when it has you.
Let’s look at an example of Jesus overcoming the worlds system
In Matthew 17 they tried to get Jesus into the world system. When He entered into the city of Capernaum, the tax collector met him. They asked His disciples, “Does your master pay taxes?” What they were really saying was, “Because if he is going to be around here for a while, He’s got to pay some taxes”. Jesus sent Peter fishing. He told him to go to the sea and catch the first fish and in its mouth there would be a coin to pay the taxes.
24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
25 He said, “Yes.”
Matthew 17:24-25 KJV
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Matthew 17:26 KJV
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.
27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
Matthew 17:27 KJV
While we are on looking at this scripture, there is a type and a shadow here
The sea is the world
The fish was Jesus
The hook was the Law
The money that was in the fish’s mouth was redemption, which was enough to pay for me and thee forever.
If we look at I John 5:4 again we can see how to overcome the world’s system. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
When the God kind of faith is in operation in our lives, the system of this world has to take a back seat. How did Jesus take a little boy’s lunch and feed the 5000? It was because He was not subject to the world’s system. When Jesus spoke He had a faith in God that wasn’t all messed up with the world.
Now when Abraham was called of God, the Bible says in Hebrews 11:8 “By faith he sojourned in the land of Promise”. In the original Greek it says, in faith he sojourned in the land of promise. As far as Abraham was concerned, his faith overcame the world around Him.
Hebrews 11 tells us of many saints that overcame the world.
If the world system has a hold on you, then let faith rise up within you and soon you will find your above only and not beneath. God will give you the power to get wealth. Adam was cursed to work with the sweat of his brow, but in Christ we can rise above the world’s system and take the land. What is that land? It is the land that surely flows with milk and honey.
Remember faith begins where the will of God is known. If you don’t have faith, then you are not spending enough time in God’s face – In His Word and in prayer. Because when you do, God will speak and faith will come because you heard his voice. Romans 10:17 says, “so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
You don’t need more faith, you just need to build up yourself on your most Holy faith according to Jude 20. So when you do God’s thing and not your own thing you will rise above the world’s system.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if we try to overcome the “world” by the Spirit or the anointing of the spirit of God upon me, we will fall flat on our face and be a failure.
So we see that we are responsible for overcoming in the following areas: the devil, the flesh, and the world.
Today, I believe that our main problems are the flesh and the world. The devil is already defeated and our fight is not against him.
It is our job to bring the flesh into subjection. Phil 2:12 [ Light Bearers ] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
In summary, there is God’s side and then there is man’s side.
Jesus gave His Blood to sanctify and make perfect the heart.
Jesus gave His blood so we could have a perfect heart.
He gave His Word to sanctify and make perfect the motive of our lives.
He gave His Word so our motives of life would be right
He gave His Spirit to sanctify and make perfect our wills
He gave His Spirit so our wills could be committed to His Will
God deals with the heart, our motives, and our wills.
God is dealing with us in these three realms.
Then God has given us the power to deal with the devil, the flesh, and the world in the name of Jesus. God does not deal with these, we must deal with them.
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