What does it mean to "overcome"? It means to walk in victory in Christ. Any believer can choose to walk in victory, and God will grant him the desire of his heart. As we mature in the Lord the adversaries and obstacles become increasingly challenging. Yet, God always provides us with the grace necessary to emerge victorious from the battle.

There are the victorious Christians and then there are the defeated Christians. Experienced Christians know what it means to be victorious and what it means to be defeated.

God has called every Christian to the throne from which the parousia will originate. It is the victorious saints, and only the victorious saints, who finally will abide in the throne of the God of Heaven. The believers who are defeated by the world or by Satan or by their lusts or by their disobedience to God will not sit in the throne of glory. They will not be revealed to the creation in the parousia of Christ.

We are required to attain the spiritual resurrection, to learn to live by the eternal Life of the Lord Jesus rather than by the wisdom and energies of our flesh and soul. The Lord will teach us and give us victory in every area provided we keep our confidence strong in Him.

If we grow careless, drift back into the world, cease praying, neglect the diligent study of the Scriptures, do not meet regularly (if possible) with fervent believers, we will not possess the spiritual wisdom and strength that are necessary if we are to keep on gaining the victory each day of our discipleship. Eventually we will be defeated.

If we suffer we will rule with Him provided we have responded to our suffering by glorifying God and by learning the lessons that Divinely ordained suffering teaches.

God has called us to the throne and to participation in the parousia. We can attain that to which we have been called. We must press forward with our entire personality, counting all other goals and achievements as nothing.

He who overcomes shall inherit all things!

The twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation portrays the travail of the Church. The "woman" is in travail that Christ may be born.

The dragon, Satan, stands before the woman so he may devour the Child the moment it is born. Satan seeks to destroy the Child because this Child is the ruler of the nations, the doer of God's will in the earth as it is in Heaven, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

This is a picture of Christ being formed in the members of the Body of Christ. Christ has been conceived in us and now is increasing in us.

As the Life of Christ is formed in us it begins to overcome the world.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his [God's] seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (I John 3:9)

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5)

To be continued.