Victorious Faith

What is meant by this world?

The power of sin all around us: the influence which operates towards evil, and makes the commandments and purposes of God grievous to society. The Prince of this world has much to do with this evil power.

This world is our foe, and we must fight with it.

We must contend until we overcome the world, or it will overcome us.

I. THE CONQUEST ITSELF: “overcomes the world.”

We are not to be litigious, eager to contradict everybody.

We are not, however, to be cowardly, and anxious to flee the fight.

We mingle among men of the world, but it must be as warriors who are ever on the watch, and are aiming at victory. Therefore—

1. We break loose from the world’s customs.

2. We maintain our freedom to obey a higher Master in all things.

   • We are not enslaved by dread of poverty, greed of riches, official command, personal ambition, love of honor, fear of shame, or force of numbers.

3. We are raised above circumstances, and find our happiness in invisible things: thus we overcome the world.

4. We are above the world’s authority. Its ancient customs or novel edicts are for its own children: we do not own it as a ruler, or as a judge.

5. We are above its example, influence, and spirit. We are crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to us.

6. We are above its religion. We gather our religion from God and his Word, not from human sources.

   • As one in whom this conquest was seen, read the story of Abraham. Think of him in connection with his quitting home, his lonely wanderings, his conduct towards Lot, Sodom and her king, Isaac, etc.

II. THE CONQUERING NATURE.—“Whatever is born of God.”

1. This nature alone will undertake the contest with the world.

2. This nature alone can continue it. All else wearies in the fray.

3. This nature is born to conquer. God is the Lord, and that which is born of him is royal and ruling.

   • It is not an amendment of the former creation.
   • It is not even a new creation without relationship to its Creator; but it is a birth from God, with eminence of descent, infusing similarity of nature, and conferring rights of heirship.
   • The Creator cannot be overcome, nor those born of him.
   • Jesus, the firstborn, never was defeated, nor will those conformed to him fail of ultimate triumph.
   • The Holy Spirit in us must be victorious, for how should he be vanquished? The idea would be blasphemous.

III. THE CONQUERING WEAPON: “even our faith.”

We are enabled to be conquerors through regarding—

1. The unseen reward which awaits us.

2. The unseen presence which surrounds us. God and a cloud of witnesses hold us in full survey.

3. The mystic union to Christ which grace has wrought in us. Resting in Jesus we overcome the world.

4. The sanctifying communion which we enjoy with the unseen God.

   • In these ways faith operates towards overcoming sin.

IV. THE SPECIALITY OF IT—“This is the victory.”

1. For salvation, finding the rest of faith.

2. For imitation, finding the wisdom of Jesus, the Son of God.

3. For consolation, seeing victory secured to us in Jesus.

   • Behold your conflict—born to battle.
   • Behold your triumph—bound to conquer.

War-Cries

When a traveler was asked whether he did not admire the admirable structure of some stately building, “No,” said he, “for I have been at Rome, where better are to be seen every day.” O believer, if the world tempt you with its rare sights and curious prospects, you may well scorn them, having been, by contemplation, in Heaven, and being able, by faith, to see infinitely better delights every hour of the day! “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”

Feathers for Arrows.

The danger to which Christians are exposed from the influence of the visible course of things, or the world (as it is called in Scripture), is a principal subject of St. John’s General Epistle. He seems to speak of the world as some False Prophet, promising what it cannot fulfill, and gaining credit by its confident tone. Viewing it as resisting Christianity, he calls it the “Spirit of Antichrist,” the parent of a numerous progeny of evil, false spirits like itself, the teachers of all lying doctrines, by which the multitude of men are led captive. The antagonist of this great tempter is the Spirit of Truth, which is “greater than he who is in the world”; its victorious antagonist, because gifted with those piercing Eyes of Faith which are able to scan the world’s shallowness, and to see through the mists of error into the glorious kingdom of God beyond them. “This is the victory that overcomes the world,” says the text, “even our faith.”—J. H. Newman.

The believer not only overcomes the world in its deformities, but in its seeming excellencies. Not in the way that Alexander and other conquerors overcame it, but in a much nobler way; for they, so far from overcoming the world, were slaves to the world. The man who puts ten thousand other men to death does not overcome the world. The true conqueror is he who can say with Paul, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? etc.” “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.” Such an one has recourse, by faith, to an infallible standard—the Word of God: indeed, there is no other. He detects the world, and will not be imposed upon by it. When he is tempted to take the world’s good things as his portion, he rejects them; because he has something better in hand. Thus, faith in Christ overcomes the corrupt influence, the inordinate love, the slavish fear, the idolatry, the friendship, the false wisdom, and the maxims of the world: it overcomes not only the folly, but the very religion of the world, as far as it is a false religion. The Christian has hold of a superior influence, and engages superior strength. Doubtless, says he, I have great enemies to attack but greater is he who is with me than he who is in the world.

—Richard Cecil.

It is asserted of this elegant creature (the Bird of Paradise) that it always flies against the wind; as, otherwise, its beautiful but delicate plumage would be ruffled and spoiled. Those only are Birds of Paradise, in a spiritual sense, who make good their way against the wind of worldliness; a wind always blowing in an opposite direction to that of heaven.—J. D. Hull.

Believers, forget it not! you are the soldiers of the Overcomer.

J. H. Evans.