The Need to Overcome

CHRISTIANS NEED TO OVERCOME

REV 21:7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Several times in the scriptures the need to overcome. As the above verse notes, overcoming carries great rewards with it. In this lesson, I would like to discuss some thoughts about what a person needs to overcome, and what they must avoid being overcome by.
GEN 32:28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”
Before I go any farther I would like to talk about the meaning of the word “overcome”. To overcome something does not happen by accident. The verse above indicates that Jacob had to struggle to overcome. Have we had anything that we struggle with in our lives and our relationship with God? Is it a struggle to deal with these things. Can we think of some situation in our life that we have overcome? Did it happen by accident? I think not! It probably took a plan, effort, prayer, and guidance form God to deal with these issues. Let us keep that in mind as we continue this discussion.
1JO 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
ROM 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
These two verses help us what we need to overcome and how to do it. We are to overcome the world and evil. In other words, we must overcome sin! This is at the very core of what being a Christian is all about! Was our decision to become a Christian associated with the fact that we realized we had sin in our lives the we needed to overcome? Did we see the evil in our lives and recognize it as something we had to get rid of in order to be happy? 1JO 5:4 also points out that our faith is connected with overcoming. It also describes this a victory. Do we feel that we have defeated the world? ROM 12:21 indicates that if we don’t defeat evil, it will defeat us!
JER 1:19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
Do we feel like we are being overcome? It happens to all of us at some time. This verse reminds us that if God is with us we will not be overcome. Instead, he will rescue us. This should be a comfort to us as we are involved in the struggle with the world and the temptations Satan places before us.
MAT 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
God wants us to overcome Satan and his temptations. The Church is a part of that plan. Some people try overcome the world without being a part of the Church. I feel this verse points out the importance of the Church in our relationship with Christ.
PSA 116:3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
LUK 8:37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.
JER 23:9 Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble. I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and his holy words. 
Every person has different things that Satan places before him that they must overcome. These verses point out some general things we must overcome. Emotions, fears, the things of this world are things we must overcome. Every person has to realize the things he has to overcome.
REV 2:26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations
The final verse in this study is a reminds us that we have something to do besides overcoming sin in our life. We must also do the will of the father. These to things go hand in hand. If we have not overcome the world, it is of no benefit if we are not doing the will of the father.

These are just a few thoughts I had concerning the idea of overcoming. I hope they have been of some benefit to you.