More Than Conquerors — Part 1

Sermon delivered on January 15th, 2017
Morning Service

By: Pastor Greg Hocson

Scripture Text: Romans 8:28-39

 

Introduction

Romans chapter eight is one of may favorite chapters in the Bible. It was written to encourage God's people. It is meant to remind us of who we are and what we have in Christ Jesus. It is meant to remind us of the hope we have in Jesus Christ and the promises God has given us specially when we feel discouraged, defeated and overwhelmed by life.  

 

Our theme for this year 2017, I trust would help us understand that as children of God, we are more than conquerors. You may not feel like a conqueror today. But regardless of how you feel, this verse offers words of hope, peace and encouragement.

 

According to the Bible, the children of God are overwhelmingly victorious people. We don't always see it. We don't always feel it. We don't always live like it. But it is true nonetheless.

 

Consider with me the facts that are revealed in these words of the Apostle Paul in ...

Romans 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

 

I - We Are At War

Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

The word conqueror implies that we believers are at war. The word conqueror has to do with conflict. It has to do with struggle. Understand that the Christian life is not a picnic. It is not a field trip. It is not a game we play. It is a spiritual war. We are not in a playground, we are in a battleground. And in a battleground expect enemies. 

 

David acknowledges his enemies.

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2: When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3: Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

 

Our enemies are not flesh and blood as Paul said in ...

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Our struggle is not against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

 

This explains why it is easier to do wrong than to do right. It is because you and I are in a war. Wars are not easy. The reason that everything is so hard for you and I, is because Christ has enemies and those enemies are yours as well. Our enemies are determined and serious. They are relentless. They attack us on every side and every direction. That is what we should expect.

 

Romans 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Because of our relationship and attachment to Christ, whether you are aware of it or not, we are killed all the day long - we are continually and constantly exposed to death. That is the nature of Christian life.  

 

Romans 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

 

Our Lord regards us as His sheep. He compares us to sheep.

Ezekiel 34:6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

 

Ezekiel 34:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12: As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

 

Luke 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

 

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

 

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

 

John 21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17: He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

 

Oh, how tenderly and graciously our Lord regards us as sheep to be sought out and cared for. Likewise, our enemies regard us as sheep, but not as sheep to be sought out and cared for, but sheep for the slaughter. That is how the world sees us. The world regards us as sheep that are good for nothing but to be slaughtered. And more and more the world is becoming bold to actually say and show that. 

 

This is the nature of the Christian life.  Christian life is not a wayfaring life, it is a warfaring life. If we are going to succeed in this Christian life we must be sober and be vigilant.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

There must be a constant watchfulness and prayerfulness. 

 

II -  We Have Weapons

In a war, in a conflict, we need weapons to win and thank God we do. We do have weapons. And I am going to talk about our weapons in the coming weeks. But today, I just want to remind us that in this warfare we have weapons.

 

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

The weapons of our warfare not of this world, not of the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not made by human hands, but they have divine power and able to destroy powerful defense and fortresses. The weapons that we have are able to pull down strongholds, breakdown barriers, and conquer our enemies. 

 

III -  We Are Winning

Paul uses the phrase "more than conquerors". The Greek word is hypernikomen and it only appeared one time in the New Testament. It refers to those who "gain a surpassing victory." It means, "to be completely victorious; to carry away an overwhelming victory." It literally has the idea of us being "Super-conquerors".

 

How can one be more than a conqueror? A win is a win. Victory is a victory. How can you be more victors? If you win you win.

 

Let me illustrate. United States won the Battle of Iwo Jima. Men and women were killed in that battle. Americans incurred casualties (dead and wounded)  and the American casualties even exceeded the Japanese casualties. But in winning we lost countless soldiers. We won but we lost. In that battle of the Iwo Jima, we were conquerors, but in order to say that we are more than conquerors it would be to win without casualties. To be more than conquerors would be to win without any incurring any lost. That's when you can say that you are more than conquerors. 

 

O, Christians that is what we are! We are more than conquerors! We win without incurring any lost. 

 

Romans  8:31: What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

This is the question that the people of the world want answered. Is there a God, and if there is a God, is He for us or against us? 

 

When Paul says if God be for us, he is not questioning whether God is for us or not. What he is saying is, "since God is for us, who can be against us?" Paul is not saying that no one or nothing is against us, the answer is no one and nothing that are against us that will prevail against us.

 

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

Trouble can take many things away from the people of God. It can take our happiness away, it can take our prosperity away, trouble can take our health away, it can take our friends away, but there is one thing that trouble cannot take away from us. Trouble cannot take away the most important thing in life - the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. That is why we can overwhelmingly conquer even in the worst that life has to offer. 

 

So, what do we lose in this victory. Through Christ, we are not just conquerors, we are more than conquerors! And this truth is not in the future. It does not say, we will be more than conquerors, it says, we are more than conquerors. Now, right now. This is a present reality. In the midst of all kinds of conflict and struggle and even with the sense of lost. If you are in Christ you are more than conquerors. 

 

Even Satan's overwhelming attacks are made to serve the believer's greater good. That is not to say that the hits don't hurt, they do hurt, the conflict is real, it is not a picnic, but even hurt is blessed by God some way to increase our blessedness. 

 

I will close here. Next Sunday, God willing we will consider the whenhow and why of our conquest.

 

Closing Thoughts

We are still in the battle, and we still have enemies who seek to take us down. Our enemies are relentlessly throwing fiery darts at us, and they hit us and they hurt, but we are more conquerors  through Him that loved us unto death. 

 

Satan is a defeated enemy. He is a conquered foe, it is just a matter of time till we all trample him under our feet. The issue has been decided, if you are a child of God, your sins cannot condemn you, death has lost its sting, the grave has lost its victory and the devil cannot destroy you. If God is for you who can be against you. Christ died who can condemn you?

 

As we face the year 2017 and the conflict of this life may we focus entirely on Christ, the glorious captain of our salvation. May we focus on the triumphant nature of His work for us. May we begin to live and behave for what we are; we are  more than conquerors through Christ who loved us.

 

AMEN!