“In all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
People don’t want to know what you’ve learned about Jesus, but what He has done for you personally. They have the right to ask, for the life of a Believer should be transparent. People need to see the scars from your battles. Share what you’ve learned through your trials, for this knowledge can help others.
Paul tells us we conquer “through Christ who loves us”. Christians are not redeemed just to be winners, or better than average, or mere victors, but conquerors. But Paul coins a new maxim: “more than conquerors”. This phrase is one word in Greek. Hupernicomen means “to vanquish exceedingly; to gain a decisive, surpassing victory – a super-conqueror.” People can conquer certain things by their own resilience, but without Jesus no one can be a super-conqueror. What you really conquer you conquer through Jesus or you’ve conquered nothing at all. Overcomming Satan by the blood of the Lamb is a key theme in the book of Revelation. In fact, the entire book of Revelation is all about Jesus conquering Satan. We have victory over the beast, but we conquer him through the One who is the love of God personified (Rev.15:2).
Every Believer overcomes obstacles and wins battles. But Paul does not call us conquerors individually, but collectively. We continue to achieve the most dynamic victories through the love of Christ. His ultimate act of love on Calvary propels us forward, but His present, persistent, active love allows us to conquer the enemy every day.
Paul explains how this is possible: Christ is seated on God’s right hand (Rom.8:34). In Colossians 2:15, Paul affirms we can triumph over all evil powers because He did. What Paul is stressing is the superlative victories we have in Jesus – and the decisiveness of His conquests. My enemies are His enemies in every battle, every conflict, and every fight. Just because God doesn’t issue detailed maps to take us through our trials doesn’t mean He doesn’t have them.
Paul does not downplay the sufferings prior to our victories, for the physical, emotional and mental stress is real. But Paul does not trust in his own strength. The love of Jesus was the secret of his victory – and ours. Nothing that happens to you as a Christian can destroy you, unless you let it. Every Believer is unstoppable and undefeatable through the love of Jesus.
In verse 35, Paul lists things that might stop us if we did not have God’s power: distress, hardship, sorrow, troubles, pain, anguish, stress, tragedy, poverty, oppression, persecution, illness and eminent death. Today, this could include foreclosures, lay-offs, your stocks becoming scrap-paper, drive-bys, car wrecks, Alzheimer’s, hospitalization, lawsuits, your kids on meth or in prison. His grace is sufficient in every situation – even in worst case scenarios.
Paul mentions a conqueror’s crown we’ll receive that will never fade away (I Cor 9:25). But all who receive this crown understand that super-conquering is not based on super faith or self-determination. It is based solely on His love for us. It’s not about our hold on Him that makes us more than conquerors, but His hold on us. The source of this strength is not based upon how much we love God, but upon how much He loves us. “We love him, because He first loved us” (I Jn 4:19).
<> Because our enemies are supernatural, our victory is supernatural.
<> Because we are super-conquers, our reward is superior.
<> Because God’s love is eternal, our victory is eternal.
The Apostle John speaks of Jesus Christ as “the one who loved us” and then adds, “and who has washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Rev.1:5). This is the true measure of the love and power of Christ.