We have a small magnetic plaque on our refrigerator door that reads, “Overcoming is greater than deliverance." Many of us may remember the last speech Martin Luther King made on March 31, 1968, when he repeated the phrase, ‘we shall overcome’ over and over. More so than previous generations we are living in a time in which life seems filled with insurmountable struggles, trials, temptations and spiritual battles. Yet, in Christ we can be an overcomer.


We need to remember that God’s love overcomes everything, and his love is the most powerful source in the world. In Psalm 145:8 David describes God’s love as ‘gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy’. It is God’s love that overcomes evil. In all our relationships, especially when we encounter difficulties, we need to imitate these attributes of God’s love.


In Revelation 12 John provides a very vivid description of a war in heaven. In verse 7 we are told that ‘Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven’. One of the labels John gives Satan in verse 10 is ‘accuser’. He accuses God before people. God gets blamed for everything. He says God is not to be trusted. He also accuses Christians before God. He denies the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus. And he condemns us and makes us feel guilty with a general and vague feeling of guilt.


Satan has always and will continue to attempt to lead all mankind astray. We are constantly at war with the demonic forces of evil. But victory is secure. We can overcome Satan in the following ways:

1. Trust in the blood of the Lamb: Christ’s shed blood on the cross brought complete victory over the devil and assures us our right standing before God.
2. Tell our story: Our testimony of our personal salvation experience is the most powerful way of overcoming opposition to our faith.
3. Take risks for Jesus: We can take the risk of betting our life on Jesus and being absolutely sure of our eternal future.


John’s words in verse 11 speak of these ways to overcome Satan: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death."

The next time we are inclined to ask the Lord to deliver us from an unpleasant circumstance or a temptation from Satan, may we instead ask for his power to help us overcome. As iron sharpens iron, an experience of being an overcomer often advances our spiritual growth.