We Need To Conquer

April 2022 – Grace & Truth Magazine

We Need To Conquer

Our thought of “conquerors” includes empires that invaded nations and ruled there, maybe ruthlessly. Four are mentioned in Daniel: Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, the Medo-Persian Empire beginning with Cyrus, the Grecian Empire under Alexander, which after his death was split four ways, and the Roman Empire that has existed and will be revived during the tribulation (see Dan. 2, 7). The Lord has used conquerors in judgment against nations, including toward Israel and Judah.

Our Lord Jesus, in His death and resurrection, conquered as well. Hymn writer Catherine Helene von Poseck (1859–1953) expressed His victory this way: “Hallelujah! Christ hath conquered – conquered sin and death and hell.” “As the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the Devil” (Heb. 2:14 NKJV). Revelation 1:18 says, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

His victory in these things is given to us: “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55-57). We have “been set free from sin” (Rom. 6:22). In fact, regarding all the things that might be thought of as separating us from the love of God, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (8:37). As believers, our eternal position is in Christ, and that will never change.

Yet, in this world we are often discouraged by our failures, our sins. We may even wonder if we really are saved since we can fail so easily. The flesh – that which still exists in us seeking our own desires instead of God’s – needs to be conquered in a practical sense every day, regardless of how good a Christian seems to be. This is presented to us in the battles Joshua fought, which were deadly. Therefore, while considering the lessons on the following pages keep in mind the seriousness of the issue. The judgment of all our sins, even those we commit now, and their terrible burden was placed on Jesus at the cross. Oh, how we need to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12).

By Paul Alberts