"And they overcame [the dragon] by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their Testimony, having loved not their own lives unto the death (Revelation 12:11)."

How many Christians would like to be described as overcomers? Here we see that there are three main characteristics of the one who overcomes. To overcome is the normal Christian life, and not for a select few to enjoy. It is a fact that few Christians live as overcomers; nevertheless, the Christian life is characterized by victory, not by defeat. If this is not our experience then we have much yet to learn. We should not accept things the way they are, but we should press into God and ask Him to show us the Truth.

It is helpful to identify the three enemies that present themselves to us, then the above verse will make even more sense. The overcomer must learn how to defeat each one. So what are they? First, there is the enemy of Sin. Second, the enemy of Self. Third, the enemy of Satan. All contrary things, whether they be of spiritual, natural, or human origin, find their root in one of these three sources.

The glorious thing of course is that God's provision meets all three enemies and defeats them in order to demonstrate the preeminence of Christ. This, in essence, is what it means to overcome. It is to demonstrate the preeminence of Christ over all things. Of course, if He does not have the preeminence in us individually as disciples it will be impossible for us to demonstrate His preeminence elsewhere. We need not travel too far outside of ourselves. We can begin right in our own backyard, right in our own home, right in our own lives.

So what is God's provision against these three enemies? For the enemy of Sin, there is the Blood. For the enemy of Self, there is the Cross. And for the enemy of Satan, there is the Throne. These three are sufficient to answer to everything which we may encounter. They are contained in the verse cited above: "the Blood of the Lamb" of course is the Blood of Jesus; "the word of their Testimony" speaks of the Throne; and "loved not their own lives unto the death" speaks of the Cross. We will look at these more particularly. I pray God will encourage us to overcome through these truths.


OVERCOMING SIN

"If we walk in the Light, as He is in he Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (I John 1:7)."

The first enemy the Christian comes into contact with is the enemy of Sin. Before we are Christians we never give sin a second thought. A man is not a sinner because he sins, he sins because he is a sinner. We are born into sin. That is not a popular teaching today, but the Scriptures bear that out. When do we experience a conflict with sin? Not until we become a Christian. Then the presence of Christ within us makes us uncomfortable when we sin. We cannot claim ignorance. The Living Christ teaches us the things which are and are not pleasing to God.

So the first conflict a Christian experiences is between that which is godly and that which is sinful. This explains why a new Christian is obsessed with their own sins and can be so easily discouraged. There is much of the former life still hanging on. Old habits die hard. So it is not surprising that early in the Christian walk much of the battle is centered around putting away sin. This is as it should be. But there is a problem if, after ten or twenty years of calling ourselves Christians, we are still dealing with the same old sins. A single "thorn in the flesh" might be understandable, but not one or two dozen. That is not to say we can achieve sinlessness, but it is to say that after a reasonable period of time we should not still be struggling with residue from our former life of sin. After all, Sin is only one of three enemies for us to overcome. Let me be clear: if we cannot overcome Sin, we cannot overcome Self and Satan.

I am all for preaching against sin, but it is a shame that we are still preaching it to the same people after so many years with little effect. Some Christians just continue to lie, cheat, steal, gossip, and sow discord no matter how many times they are instructed. Some Christians still struggle with alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual uncleanness, and the like. The divorce rate is as high for a Christian marriage as it is for any other kind of marriage. Something is wrong.

God's Answer to the problem of sin is the Blood of Jesus. According to I John 1:7, if we walk in the Light then we have fellowship with one another and the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. This includes sins past and present, so long as I continue in the Light, confessing my sins when they occur. The Blood not only cleanses me from what I have done, it keeps me from sinning further. That is the missing element we have failed to tell people about. Everyone knows how to apply the Blood AFTER we have sinned, but how often do we apply it to KEEP us from sin? This overcomes the Dragon, for he can find no grounds to accuse me before God. Otherwise, it is useless to take a stand for anything spiritual because the moment I do, satan will rightfully accuse that I am no different than anyone else, for I am full of unconfessed and unforsaken sins. We should keep short accounts with God and with men, put away all known sin, and quickly confess and forsake all discovered sin. This is so important that it must be done at least daily (Matthew 6:12).


OVERCOMING SELF

"Anyone wanting to walk in My footsteps must deny Self, take up the cross daily, and then follow after Me (Luke 9:23)."

The second enemy to overcome is Self. In many respects this enemy is even more formidable than Sin, for the strength of Sin is Self. Indeed, if we are completely dead to Self then Sin has no ground in us. It is only when we are alive to Self that we are tempted by Sin. This enemy is difficult to recognize and acknowledge. We prefer to think of the enemy as being "out there", but the reality is that the greatest enemy is staring back at us whenever we look into a mirror.

We must understand that whatever comes from Self is defiled. Paul says, "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18a). Some have not learned this lesson. They still think they can serve God in their own strength, according to the flesh, by doing enough good deeds to outweigh their bad deeds. We must learn, as Paul learned, that Sin is not the only thing which defiles, but that "good and proper thing" which proceeds from Self also defiles. It is easy to identify the evil in Sin because such behavior is recognized as "bad". It is not so easy to identify the evil in Self, because Self can prompt us to do many seemingly good things, such as reading the Bible, praying, attending Church, paying tithes, and witnessing to the lost. But Paul proclaims that anything coming from "the flesh" is totally worthless.

Some feel they are victorious because they have long ago given up the outward sins of the flesh. They do not drink or cheat on their spouse. They go to church and live a good life. Are they not victorious? Perhaps - but the true test is not their outward deportment but their inward mastery. Before they served satan, and now they say they "serve" God, but in whose power do they serve Him? Do they serve Him in Spirit and Truth, or in flesh and blood? Often they do not serve God or satan, they serve Self. This explains why "church people" are often found to be self-righteous. Their holiness consists of outward things - do not eat, do not touch, do not wear, do not say, do not go, etc. It is a religion which consists of doing or not doing to be seen and approved of men, while the weightier matters - pride, greed, jealousy, ambition, etc. - are covered up. Such is a holiness which comes from Self, and not from Christ; hence, "self"-righteousness is not the same as Christ-righteousness.

God's answer to the problem of Self is the Cross. The Blood takes care of sin, but the Cross takes care of the sinner. The Blood cleanses me from sin, and keeps me from sinning; the cross executes Self so that I no longer desire to sin. By removing the sinner, the problem of sin is eliminated. If I have died to Self then I have died to everything. It is one thing to put away Sin; it is quite another thing to put away Self. Both are necessary in order to overcome.


OVERCOMING SATAN

"[God] has raised us up together and made us to sit together with Him in the heavenly places in Christ... far above every principality and power and name which is named, in this world and in the world which is to come (Ephesians 2:6, 1:21)."

The third enemy a Christian must overcome is satan. The name "satan" means "accuser", so it stands to reason that in order to overcome the accuser we must have nothing in us which gives credence to the accusation. This is why it is so important that we understand the Blood and the Cross. If we have overcome Sin and Self then satan has nothing to accuse us of.

Satan's primary task is to accuse the brethren night and day before God (Revelation 12:10b). What is the goal of this continual accusation? In essence, satan hopes to demonstrate the inconsistency between the Testimony of Jesus and the actual experience of the brethren. It goes something like this: "They say they stand for the Kingdom of God, but there is no evidence of this Kingdom in their lives. They say there is no power but God's, but they themselves are powerless. They say they want the preeminence of Christ, but look at how quickly they take charge of one another. It is nothing but talk; it is proof positive that the Christ cannot change men into His likeness."

So day and night this challenge rises up before God. How do we overcome these accusations? God's answer is the Throne. Our overcoming of satan has to do with position. Since we are seated in the heavenlies with Christ, His overcoming is our overcoming. To bear the Testimony of Jesus is to live out of our heavenly position while maintaining an earthly existence. "For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever." This means that there is no Kingdom but God's, no Power but God's, and no Glory but God's. To stand fast in this Truth, in spite of all "evidence" to the contrary which satan, men, or our circumstances may provide, is to bear the Testimony.

Unfortunately, some Christians are more zealous to proclaim the "kingdom" and "power" of darkness than the Kingdom and Power of God. Whenever I write on this subject I always get dozens of letters giving me anecdotal evidence of satan's alleged power, or words of warning to remain "balanced" in my approach to dealing with satan, lest I offend him! People who bristle at this teaching are the very ones whom satan uses to perpetuate the illusion of control. They like the idea of a powerful devil because it gives them an excuse for being defeated. They have fallen prey to a strong delusion. The truth is that satan has no power except what he gains through Sin and Self, and when we see that we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies then we will overcome satan altogether. Satan's entire operation is based on deception and illusion. The fact is that all power in heaven and in earth is given to Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18). If satan had any intrinsic power at all he would not have to use such deception. Those who most loudly speak of the power of satan and the demons are the ones who have listened to satan for so long that they believe everything he says.


OVERCOMING AS HE OVERCAME

"The one who overcomes will sit with Me in My throne, just as I have overcome and have sat down with My Father in His throne (Revelation 3:21)."

What a glorious promise this is! We have seen that there are three characteristics of the overcomer. Let us sum them up again. First, they overcome the enemy of Sin through the Blood of the Lamb, which not only cleanses them from sin but keeps them from sin. Second, they overcome Self by taking up the Cross daily to follow Jesus, thus making no provision for the flesh outwardly or inwardly. Third, they live out of their heavenly position with Christ in His throne, demonstrating mastery over satan, having no grounds through which he can accuse.

When we overcome all three enemies then we are overcoming as Christ overcame. When you think of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus, does He not demonstrate preeminence over all three enemies? He is the Sinless One as well as the Selfless One. Because He is sinless as well as selfless, the enemy can tempt Him with nothing. Even death cannot hold Him.

For us to overcome as He overcame is not as difficult as you might imagine. The Law of Life says that "He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30)." When Christ has the preeminence in us then we will begin to experientially know what it is to be an overcomer. We may fail a thousand times, but He cannot fail. Thus, we need only rest in Christ as He brings us into a victory that He has already secured in Himself. It is time for us to mature into all that He intends for us, and enjoy the provision He has made for us as "more than a conqueror." After all, what better describes "more than a conqueror" than someone who wins without having to fight?

Father, I thank You that Christ is our Victory. Raise up overcomers who will have the Revelation of Christ and will bear the Testimony of Jesus, demonstrating the preeminence of Your Son over Sin, Self, and Satan. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory all belong to You. Let it be so forever. Amen.

source: http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/index.html

"And when the servant of [Elisha] was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, 'Alas, my master! How shall we do?' And he answered, 'Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them'. And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see'. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (II Kings 6:15-17).

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4).

M We look at the world and we see many things which hinder and distract. We look at the Church and we see many things which disturb us. We look at our own circumstances and become frightened, depressed, and anxious. We see the enemy coming to kill, steal, and destroy. We see angels of light presenting themselves as the servants of the Lord when they are, in fact, messengers of satan. We see many false visions, many false words, many false teachers and teachings. Alas! What can we do about it all?

From our point of view, these things seem like huge issues. It takes a considerable amount of effort to stand against these things. At times it seems we are sinking under the weight of so many burdens and things coming against us. We wonder if perhaps we will be completely swallowed up and overwhelmed by it all. When we look at the facts of the situation it does appear that we are hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded.

HOW SHALL WE OVERCOME?

There is a secret to overcoming, and the secret is seeing. If we can only see, then we will overcome. Living follows seeing. We cannot live as overcomers until we see it. But once we see it, living it becomes natural. Doing follows being.

The problem is not "out there". The issue is not the great host which has surrounded us. We would like to make that the issue, but the size of the army is irrelevant. I do not have to know what the enemy is doing in your life, because it does not matter. I only have to know what you see. When you look out from where you are, what do you see? If you see correctly, then nothing can defeat you. If you do not see correctly, the tiniest thing will quickly subdue you. The difference between victory and defeat is not in what the devil is doing or the direction this world is going, but in what we see when we look.

Most people look out and see themselves surrounded by an enemy. That is why they live their lives in desperation and fear of what may happen next. They see the devil everywhere they look. They are full of stories about what the devil is doing to them (or what he might be doing). But the overcomers look around them and see something different. They do not see as other people see. That is why they overcome.

To be an overcomer does not mean that we deny the existence of the enemy. We are not going to overcome by pretending we are not really surrounded. Denying the existence of the adversary will not make him disappear. We acknowledge and admit that there is a real enemy, a real spirit of Antichrist, that is out to destroy the Remnant and hinder the Testimony of Jesus. We also acknowledge and admit that more often than not, this spirit of Antichrist seems to get the advantage over us.

Even so, the issue is not the enemy. We may look at the enemy, study him, and build an entire movement around different ways to fight him. We can write books and hold seminars on "spiritual warfare". But when we look out from the mountain, what do we really see? Here is the difference between those who overcome and those who are defeated: it is not in their ability to fight, but in their ability to SEE, and this seeing is not of themselves, but is of God.

OVERCOMERS HAVE HAD THEIR EYES OPENED

Now Elisha's servant looks out, sees a great host about to attack them, and cries out, "Alas! How shall we do?" Elisha looks out, sees a great host about to attack them, and says, "Fear not." What a study of contrasts. Everywhere it seems people are crying, "Alas, alas, what shall we do, where shall we go, what's to become of us", etc. etc. Where are the ones who can say, "Fear not"?

I hope you will understand that the problem OUT THERE did not change. Both men faced the same army, both men faced the same circumstance, but one man said, "Alas!" and one man said, "Fear not."

How is it that two people, looking at the exact same situation, can reach two completely different conclusions? The difference is in what they saw when they looked.

Some people become upset with me because they think I make it sound so "easy". "But you don't understand what I'm going through..." Brothers and sisters, maybe no one can understand what you are going through, and you may never understand what I am going through, but that does not matter. What matters is whether or not our eyes are opened. We should not spend time studying the problem when the Solution is right in front of us.

I can offer you nothing more than what Elisha offered, and that is, clarity of vision. "Lord, open his eyes that he may see." Now the difference is just here: some people have had their eyes opened to see, and some people have not. It is quite easy to tell the difference. The first group is saying, "Alas!" while the second group is saying, "Fear not." Now that is not a condemnation or a criticism, just a statement of fact. All of us are blind until someone prays, "Lord, open their eyes". One day we will ALL see, and we look forward to that day when everything is made clear.

What must we do? How long does it take? It is not a question of spiritual growth, maturity, wisdom, or gifting. Elisha's servant did not gradually begin to see more clearly. He did not study the situation for many months and finally hit upon the truth. No, one moment his eyes were closed, and the next moment they were opened. Either your eyes have been opened or they have not. If they are open then you can pray for the Lord to open the eyes of others. If they are closed, you can pray to have your own eyes opened.

People sometimes ask me what they have to do to obtain this great revelation of Christ. They think it is God's way of rewarding us for a lot of hard work. Nothing could be further from the truth. To have one's eyes opened is simply an act of grace, and God alone can do it, and will do it, if we will only ask Him. At the risk of making it sound "too easy", I dare not make it any more difficult than that!

When the servant's eyes were opened, he saw what Elisha saw. When Elisha said, "The ones with us are greater than the ones with them" it must have sounded like lunacy. It cannot be understood with words alone: the eyes must be opened. If words were enough then Elisha would not have prayed for the eyes to be opened. We should spend less time trying to understand "words" and more time praying for God to open our eyes. When our eyes are opened, then the words will make sense. Until then, words are like hieroglyphics - we know there is something significant there, but we cannot understand what it means.

Thirty seconds of seeing is worth thirty years of studying and listening to teachers. Five words of revelation are worth more than ten thousand words gathered from flesh-and-blood.

Someone asked me if I know "everything". The answer is no, but I have seen enough to know what I am talking about. Testimony follows revelation, and the testimony consists of what we have seen and heard, not what we "think" we know, but what we KNOW we know.

It is the illumination of the heart that brings forth the knowing. It's when we finally "get it" and we can say, "Oh, NOW I see it!" We do not mean, of course, that we actually had a vision, but we mean that what was previously hidden from us has now been made known to us. This is not reserved for apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The Holy Spirit leads every disciple into "all truth" (John 16:13,14).

Elisha did not argue with his servant, or try to convince him at all. He just prayed for God to open his eyes. What a relief it is to know that it is not my duty to "defend the faith" or convince everyone of what I know to be true. I can just pray for their eyes to be opened, and God will reveal. It is so much better that way!

THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE

I want us to see that in this particular instance Elisha did not pray for protection. He did not pray for victory. He did not ask God to supply him with an arsenal of weapons. Why not? Because he saw that he was already surrounded by the chariots of fire and the hosts of heaven. When the victory is ours already we do not have to pray for victory. That would be like trying to enter into a room in which we are already sitting. No, if victory is mine then all I need is to have my eyes opened to it. If I have already OBTAINED it, I do not have to ATTAIN it.

How would our lives and our individual testimonies be different if we really saw into the heavenlies? Do you think it would change our words? Do you think it would change our actions? Do you think it would change our thoughts? Do you think it would have an effect on our surroundings?

Do you see yourself seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6)? Paul saw it, and prayed the Ephesians would see it. When the Lord showed me that I was raised together with Christ and was made to sit (past tense) in the heavenly places with Christ, do you think it changed the way I saw the world? Absolutely! No more was I looking at things from "ground level", but from the heavenly realm. Things look decidedly different when viewed from above.

Elijah saw differently, and so he thought, spoke, and behaved differently. So often we try to adopt a certain way of thinking, speaking, and acting in hopes of becoming victorious. If this is your intention then you are already defeated. If victory lies in something you must do then you will never be able to do enough. "Acting spiritual" does not produce victory, for victory is not what I do or do not do: Victory is Christ.

GREATER IS HE THAT IS WITHIN YOU

We who are the Lord's Body are told, "Greater is He that is within you, than he that is in the world." This is practically the same thing Elisha said to his servant: "The ones that be with us are greater than the ones that be with them."

The situation is the same. The apostle John says a great deal about Antichrist, false doctrines, and false teachers. He sees the Church is surrounded by a great host of wolves who want to gain access to the flock and tear them to pieces. But he also sees what Elisha sees, that is, the One within us is greater than the one in the world.

John declares that no matter what comes against us, the One within us is Greater. It does not matter what you feel like, what you see, what you hear, what people say, or what the devil does. It does not matter if Lazarus is dead for four days and is beginning to stink. It does not matter if the girl dies before Jesus can get there. It does not matter if the waves are about to capsize the boat. It does not matter if Paul is stoned and left for dead. Lazarus will be raised, the girl will be brought back to life, and the storm will be silenced, and Paul will preach again.

The Greater is always Greater, and the Lesser is always Lesser. We only have a problem when see everything else as "greater" and see Christ as "lesser". Remember, the difference between "Alas!" and "Fear not!" is in having our eyes opened. When you look, what do you see? May the Lord open our eyes to see Him as He is!

Source: http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/index.html