I'm Still Here...

I'm Still Here...

"And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake" (Mk. 13:13)
I know without a shadow of a doubt that just as I have been through some very difficult times in my life. Many of you listening can say amen. That you as well have experienced some situations in your life that you did not know how you were going to come out of it. Even now, as I sit here at my desk typing this post with tears running down my face thinking of all the times God has rescued me from my own failings. And I have to shout out, “I’m still here!” I’m still here when all bets were against me to succeed. Those that said I would never amount to anything because of who I was and what I may have done.

When I think about those that have gone before me, setting the pace for others to follow their lead. They were over-comers and we too can be over-comers. To be an over-comer, you have to still be here. After all the heartaches and pain, you’re still here. After everyone you thought was on your side left you, you’re still here. Disappointment after disappointment, you are still here. Why? Because you are an over-comer.

When we hear about being an over-comer the Bible has a lot to say about it. Especially in the book of Revelation, the term over-comer is very prominent where Jesus is encouraging His people to remain steadfast through times of trials: 
  • Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—; 
  • Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne; 
  • Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 
  • 1 John 5:4–5 says, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

How does one become an over-comer? I’m glad you asked. One becomes an over-comer by one, being a follower of Christ and two, who successfully resist the power of this world’s system and all of it’s temptations. Being an over-comer does not mean you are sinless, but it means that you hold fast to the faith in Christ until the end. You do not turn away when times get difficult or become an apostate, one who renounces their religious beliefs. Overcoming requires complete dependence upon God for clarity, for direction, for purpose, for fulfillment, and for the strength to follow His plan for our lives: 
  • Proverbs 3:5–6; Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

According to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word most often translated for “over-comer” stems from the word nike it means “to carry off the victory. The verb implies a battle.” We are taught throughout the Bible to recognize that this world is a battleground, it is not a playground and God does not leave us defenseless. There is an armor that is described in Ephesians 6:11–17 and it is an armor of the Lord that is available to all believers. The admonition to “stand firm” is scattered throughout this narrative. Sometimes all it takes to overcome the temptation of this world’s system is to stand firm and refuse to be manipulated and dragged into it. James 4:7 was very deliberate when he said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” An over-comer is one who resists sin no matter what allurements the Devil uses. The armor God gives us is only for the protection of a frontal attack not for retreating. You can’t be an over-comer by running from the enemy. You have to stand your ground and defend the righteousness of God’s Word. 


In Romans 8:35–39 the apostle Paul eloquently wrote of overcoming and he summarizes the true power believers have through the Holy Spirit to overcome any attack the enemy will use against us. Verse 37 says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” You’re still here because you overcame all that the enemy used to try to take you out. You’re still here because through the power of the Holy Spirit helped you to endure the hardness of your trials as a good soldier. 

Enduring is equated with overcoming. Jesus encourages those who follow Him to “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:13). A true disciple of Christ is one who endures through trials by the power of the Holy Spirit. No matter what the cost of discipleship, an over-comer holds fast to Christ until the end. Hebrews 3:14 says, “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”

In the book of Revelation, Jesus promised great reward to those who overcome. Over-comers are promised that they will: 
  • eat from the Tree of Life (2:7
  • be unharmed by the second death (2:11
  • eat from hidden manna and be given a new name (2:17
  • have authority over the nations (2:26
  • be clothed in white garments (3:5
  • be made a permanent pillar in the house of God (3:12
  • and sit with Jesus on His throne (3:21)
Holding fast to Jesus is not always easy, Jesus even warned that holding fast to Him would not be easy, but it is assured that it would be well worth it. In Mark 13:13 He says, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (ESV). If we are His, we will be able to endure to the end and His rewards will make it all worthwhile. We have that guarantee of Jesus.

Life's Word Ministry

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