Focus: 1 John 5:4-5 - KJV
4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:1-18
The world is depicted with servitude or slavery unto the devil. To overcome that slavery, it takes more than ordinary religion. It takes a belief in the fact and truth that Jesus is the son of God and has overcome the devil on behalf of mankind. Faith in that which He has done propels the believer into becoming a child of God. From the point of childhood, we are royalty and therefore, never slaves from thence unto the prince of the world. But faith in Christ is first accepting that the devil is under Him, and then, switching allegiance from the devil to whom the world is enslaved, unto Christ, as the new Master. This means, rather than yield to the devil in obedience, we now yield absolutely to Christ since we are the servant of whom we obey. The beauty of belief in Christ is, He does not consider us as servants like the prince of the world did; rather He takes us as friends. The scripture further makes us joint-heirs with Him, of the father. Importantly, when we are of God, we are no longer supposed to sin because sin subsumes the sinner under the devil.
A ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus encountered Christ. Realizing that his religious leanings had no impact on the reins of the world upon the Jews and particularly, himself, he asked to know what was responsible for Christ’s glaring lordship over the effects of the world. Of course, he was told of the need to be born again, which expression had no meaning to him, like it does has no meaning to many today, including some of those who claim they are. From Christ’s leaning, it is clear that it is renouncing the fleshly birth for the Spiritual birth, for those who are born of the Spirit are spirit and them that retain the birth in the flesh are flesh. It is only the Spirit which is truth, that aids our faith in Christ and thereby leading us into the overcoming stance. Unless therefore, we be born of the Spirit, there is no overcoming the world. The new birth that comes by our faith in Christ is the instrument that puts us above the devil, or the flesh, if you like.
The Lord is simply asking us to be correct in our claim to being born again. It is one thing to claim to be born of God and it is another thing to truly be. Those who are born of God overcome the world. But it is important to be sure we are by checking whether truly, we have faith in Christ. This is evident in the kind of life we live and how so much we show resemblance to the one we believe in. To be clear, a mere lip service or religious leaning is not the same as being born again. If we still respond positively to the directive of the flesh, or the prince of this world, to sin, then are we not yet of God. To truly overcome, we must have unflinching faith in Christ to stand in His word and move completely against the world and all that it represents.
SOLUTION: Flee from everything that is worldly and then you live above the world. When you have faith in Christ, you possess the power of the Holy Spirit to cast out devils and do other things against the darkness that emanates from the world. Have faith in Christ.
Please pray:
Father, I thank you for counting me worthy of being a part of your heritage. Thank you for giving us your Son, Jesus Christ, to help overcome the world. I believe you sent your Son for this purpose and I hinge myself to that faith by which, according to your word, I am born of you. From this day therefore, give me the grace to live as overcomer over the world, in Jesus’ name. Please never allow me to be subsumed under the world again, in Jesus’ name. Do make every issue of life traceable to servitude under the enemy, or the world, to give way to the superior power of the overcomer and the overcoming Spirit in my life, in Jesus’ name. Let me never return to slavery of the world again, in Jesus’ name.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name
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