Romans 8:36,36 are often misunderstood verses. Most of us have heard sermons preached based on these verses, explaining why if is God's will for us to suffer.
Why no one bothers to read v. 37 is beyond me...
'But in ALL THESE THINGS [referring to v. 35,46] we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him Who loved us.'
That's pretty plain...it is God's will for us to CONQUER, not only in a glorious afterlife, but right here, right now. And it's not a barely-get-by kind of victory...it's the overwhelmingly kind!
So for those of us who want to know and live in HIs will, this is it! Conquer! Conquer every tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword...conquer being put to death all day long and live in the LIFE [or zoe] of God!
What's More Than a Conquerer?
The KJV translation of this verse says we are '...more than conquerors.' That would be the Conqueror's family...He does the conquering and brings the spoils home to them! He does the work, we get the victory!
What's more than a conqueror? You are! He conquered it all for you!
Yes, But How...
The first step in walking in victory is to believe that the victory is yours already. Psalm 119:89 tells us that His Word is settled forever, and we know that He does everything by His Word. Jesus is the Word Who became flesh, and we are the Word multiplied. [John 1:1, Acts 12:24]
Meditate on the truth of your already accomplished deliverance.
'...and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.' [Acts 13:39]
'But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him Who loved us.' [Romans 8:37]
'He Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?' [Romans 8:32]
God's Word is His command. Psalm 107 says that '...He sent His Word and healed them.' Psalm 68:11,12 tells us how it works:
'The Lord gives the command [lit word]; the women who proclaim it are a great host [army];
"Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoil!"'
What I love about that passage is that God tells us how it works and then gives an example! He gives the Word, and the women then proclaimed it!
Revelations 12:11 confirms this: 'And they overcame him [the dragon, or Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony...' By His shed blood we enter into covenant with God. Our spirit is reborn and we become His sons and daughters--the younger siblings of our Elder Brother, Jesus--one Spirit with the Lord [1 Corinthians 6:17].
Then we speak the commands of our deliverance! Whatever God has said about us is settled forever in heaven, or the Spiritual realm--we speak it out to bring it to earth, much like the prophets of old proclaimed the Messiah until He came!
Oh, You Mean Positive Confessions...
No, I mean do what Jesus told you to do! He told us to speak to mountains and trees and they would move. He demonstrated by example speaking to sick people who got well, to donkeys and fish and storms and trees...then turned around and said that we would do greater works than He did! [John 14:12]
God created man in His image, and even unregenerate man had power in his mouth. Read the book of Proverbs sometime...and the account of the tower of Babel. Of course, we as Christians have the additional power of the Holy Spirit inside...the God Who spoke the Word originally is in us to speak it into the earth and bring it to pass! Hallelujah!! Read
Powerful Thoughts, Powerful Words and
Words Create for additional background.
God does everything with the yad or hand in His mouth...and we are like Him, created in His image, in righteousness and holiness of the truth [Ephesians 4:24].
Now Do It!
Okay, meditate on the truth...use the eyes of your heart to see the unseen...the will of God come to pass in your life. Then, use your mouth to command it into the earth.
The final word is found in Mark 11: 22-24...
"Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.
"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."
This is Jesus talking...you want to know what His will is for you? To overwhelmingly conquer! Just do it!
