More than a Conqueror

Romans 8:37 CSB

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Intro

My friends we are not a defeated people. We are not a people that are just barely making it by. We are in fact victorious conquerers that have already won the fight because Jesus already won the fight. We don’t live fighting FOR victory, we live fighting FROM victory. But in order to be a conquerer we have to have something to conquer. So when Paul writes “in all these things”, we now have to take a look back in the scriptures to see what “these things” are. When we begin to look back in the book of Romans there are really 2 things that Paul is declaring that we can and must conquer.

Conquering your flesh

Paul declares our first fight is with our flesh (our sin nature). The word tells us that we have a constant fight going on between the Spirit and the flesh. The flesh takes the law of God and corrupts it to lead us to death.

Romans 7:9–11 ESV

9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

Everywhere God sets a law, Satan places a trap. We do not desire what is against God until we know that something is against God. It is much like how when I child is told to not touch the hot stove, they all of a sudden get really curious about that hot stove. There was no desire to touch it until they were told they couldn’t touch it.

This battle rages on inside of us because we have to natures at war within us. (Romans 7) What can we do to be free and be a conquerer of the flesh?

Romans 8:5–7 ESV

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

The solution:

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Conquering the suffering of Life