Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 NKJV
Today, I feel more like the conquered rather than a conqueror. Perhaps, you can relate. I’ve replaced the personal pronoun “we” with “I” and repeated the verse out loud several times. That’s when I realized the problem. I “feel” like the conquered. Feelings lie. They are unstable. The fact is I am more than a conqueror, and it has absolutely nothing to do with me. I am a conqueror because Christ loves me so much. Out of His rich love, He has made me more than a conqueror. And He has done that for you too.
What are the “these things” Paul was referring to in our focal verse?
Let’s unpack this much quoted verse and discover its’ hidden treasure.
Paul listed the “these things” in Romans 8:35 NKJV:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
These are just a few things that cannot separate us from the love of God, but Paul gives an additional list later in our passage. We’ll refer to those verses in a minute. First, I want to dig deep into the things in which we are overcomers. A conqueror is an overcomer.
We are more than conquerors through tribulations and distress. That covers much ground. These include the afflictions that weigh heavy on us. The illness, the unpaid bill, or the broken relationship. The trouble at work or the trouble at home. The hardships you and I face daily in life. Those are our tribulations, and we can overcome them.
Christians face persecution throughout the world. On foreign soil, they are thrown in prisons or they may be killed. But that never stops God’s love. Even in death, they are conquerors because they are now present with the Lord.
Famine, nakedness, peril, or sword seem obsolete to us today, but they were quite real to Paul’s readers when he wrote this letter to the Romans.
Now let’s examine those other verses about God’s love:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NKJV)
In other words, nothing can make God not love us. Nothing or no one. And it is through that love, my sweet friend, that we are more than conquerors. Don’t allow your feelings to fool you. God says you are a conqueror. An overcomer, and He cannot lie.
What needs conquering in your life today? A sick child? An illness? A difficult task at home or work? Depression? Worry? Fear? A heap of laundry? A heap of dirty dishes? A heap of bills?
Get out there in the power of God’s love and conquer away.
Lord, help us remember that we don’t have to feel like a conqueror. We just have to trust that You have made us conquerors. Strengthen Your girls today to stand firm on this promise and conquer what appears unconquerable through the sweet name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read Romans. 8:28-39
HIKING THE TRAIL
Memorize our focal verse. Speak it over yourself and your family this week. Make it personal by changing the pronouns like I did. Repeat it until you firmly believe it.
RESOURCES
Learn more about God’s love for you and the deception of our emotions in Eyes of Faith: Winning the Battle Between Our Feelings and Our Faith
Originally posted on March 9, 2020 @ 3:00 am