BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Granted, we don’t instantly appear to fit that bill the moment we get saved. We all start out our Christian lives as spiritual babes. But even then, we have within us the overcoming spiritual substance that comes from God. We have His life and His divine nature. We have on the inside of us the dominion that makes Him God, because we are born of Him. It's like when you were born physically. Even in its infancy your body was designed to walk. You had all the elements necessary to be able to do it. You just didn’t know what to do with them. You were a walker who hadn’t yet learned to walk. That’s how we are spiritually when we start our Christian lives. We’re victorious ones who haven’t grown up and matured yet. We’re born overcomers who haven’t learned to overcome. What exactly are we born to overcome? As we saw in 1 John 5:4, we’re born to overcome the world. In that verse, the world speaks of everything on this earth that’s under the influence of the devil. It refers to the fallen world system he’s set up here and to the thinking behind it. It encompasses all the evil in the world and the destruction that results from it; and to its source, the devil himself who is “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Wow! you might think. That sure sounds like a lot to have to overcome. True. But, as a believer, you can do it because Jesus has already done the really hard part for you. Through His life, death and Resurrection 2,000 years ago, He conquered sin, the world and everything in it. He totally defeated Satan and all his cohorts; “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15, "New King James Version"). Then He gave all who believe on Him the right to use His Name, making us joint heirs of His victory. What’s more, He provided us with everything we need to walk in that victory. Fulfilling in us the promise God made in Ezekiel 36:26, He took away our old sinful nature and gave us “a new heart…and a new spirit.” He re-created us on the inside in His image so we can know and fellowship with Him. Plus, He sent His own Holy Spirit to dwell in us and empower us to reign as kings in life (Romans 5:17). A Setup Deal Let this soak in: God didn’t just send an angel to help you and teach you how to live as an overcomer. He came to live in you Himself! He put His own Spirit in you to be your Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby. Talk about a setup deal! Satan doesn’t stand a chance against you. God has your victory so sewn up that if you want it, the devil and all his legions can’t take it away from you. All they can do is try to draw you away from the light of God’s Word so that you’ll keep thinking and operating like the world instead of living like who you really are. They know, even though you’re a born overcomer, you can’t overcome this world by conforming to its ways. Even though you’re born again to live the high life of God, if you continue to think the world’s thoughts and say what the world says, you’ll stay stuck in the low life of the world. That’s not what you want to do! The world is under the curse. It’s without hope and without God (Ephesians 2:12). It claims to offer pleasure, success and riches, but really all its ways lead to destruction. Its ruler, the devil, can’t bless anyone because he’s cursed himself. He has no good in him, only evil. Even those who are loyal to him wind up being rewarded with nothing but death because death is all the devil has. 28 : BVOV

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