The saint cannot fulfill his role apart from the endowments of Divine Life and Personality set forth in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation. As we ponder what is declared in these two chapters the difference between the victorious saint and the blemished believer is emphasized immediately. There are the seven "spotted and wrinkled" churches of Asia, and then there are the victorious saints, the conquerors.

The churches are addressed as groups. The conqueror always is addressed as an individual.

A church never can be a conqueror. No matter how godly and fervent an assembling of Christians may become, it never can be a conqueror. Each of the conquerors is addressed as an individual. The conquerors taken together constitute a firstfruits of the Church, the Wife of the Lamb, the Body of Christ, the new Jerusalem, the holy city.

To become a conqueror the believer must press on past all persons, voices, and things other than the Person of Christ. The saint must give his all to Christ. There can be nothing between his or her soul and the Savior. He must be free from all people and yet be the servant of all.

The Lord Jesus will present to Himself a firstfruits of His Church—a remnant without spot, wrinkle, blemish, or stain of any kind whatever.

Christ never speaks to two people about overcoming as a team. The victorious saint presses alone into the bosom of God. His Creator receives him as an individual, a separate, unique creation. The Church is the "mother," so to speak. From the ministry and travail of the Church is born the saint, the overcomer, the conqueror. The spirit of the conqueror finds rest only in the Spirit of God. He is restless until he finds rest in the center of God's will.

The above paragraph is not to be interpreted to mean the Christian churches compose one group of people and the conquerors are another group of people born of the Church. This may be a logical conclusion but it is not the true spiritual reality. The people who are conquerors are of the Church to begin with and are for now the true expression of the Church. These same people follow the Holy Spirit in using their gifts and ministries, and through their gifts and ministries build up themselves and their hearers into the fullness of the stature of Christ.

In one role we are the mother and in another role we are the conqueror. To put it even more simply, we build up ourselves and those around us in the most holy faith.

Christ Jesus is the Conqueror. As the ministries of the Church "groan in travail," the Conqueror is formed in the saints (Galatians 4:19, Revelation 12:5). The moment Christ is formed in us He ascends to the right hand of His Father. Each of God's conquerors dwells in the secret place of the most High—at the right hand of the Father.

A large part of our Christian discipleship consists of the struggle to bring forth Christ in us so our reborn spiritual nature may abide at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. There are many pressures seeking to force us down to the lusts and covetousness of the world while our new inner nature is seeking victory at the right hand of God.

If you sincerely desire to become a conqueror you can. You must give yourself wholly to Christ Jesus. He must become not only your personal Savior but your absolute Lord as well. Apart from stern obedience to Him you cannot be a victorious saint. (from The Conqueror)