Where In The 
Bible Will I Find:

How To Overcome In This Present World? 

By:  Gary Colley
Date:  June 16, 2002
Past/Future Articles

 
The world made by God was not intended to present man with difficulties but rather with peace, contentment, and joy.  However Satan brought temptation into the world that produced sin and death (Rom.5:12).  Jesus came to “deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Gal.1:4-5).  Inspired John wrote that the formula for success in this present world is our faith (I Jn.5:4).  The victory that overcomes the world in found in obedient faith established on God’s Word that causes us to repent of our sins, confess our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, and to be buried into the benefits of His death in baptism (Gal.5:6; Rom.10:17; Heb.11:6; Acts 17:30-31; Rom.6:3-4).  Living by faith will produce the crown for all those who obey Him (Heb.5:8-9).  Some Biblical suggestions for overcoming the world are:  1. We must be delighted in God (Psa.37:4).  For the desires of our heart we must lean on the teaching of God’s Word, not on our own understanding (Prov.3:5-6).  We must look to God and be satisfied with His providential care for all of our needs, rejoicing in His way always (Phil.4:4).  2. We must be directed by God.  The Psalmist wrote, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way” (Psa.37:23).  The direction for living is given by God in His revelation to man and for man (II Tim.3:16-17).  We should be satisfied to walk in Truth without substituting our own thoughts and ways (Rev.22:18-19).  3. We must be dedicated to God.  To be dedicated to God means that we must surrender our will and way to the Will and Way of God (Isa.55:8-9).  God sent His only begotten Son to show all men the way to the Father (Jn.14:6), and declared through Peter, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  All who would dedicate their lives to God must enter “the narrow way” or the church of Christ in order to enjoy the eternal Heavenly destination (Matt.7:13-14).  4. We must be diligent for God.  The great commission gives us our marching orders to go into all of the world with the Gospel (Matt.28:18-20; Lk.14:23).  We must seek first in our priorities the kingdom or church and God’s plan for saving mankind (Matt.6:33).  As we live the life of a Christian and bring others into the fold of safety, we bear the fruit for our King (I Tim.6:15).  He is the true vine, we are the fruit bearing branches (Jn.15:1-6).  These things will bring happiness unparalleled to our lives, and give us the eternal crown of life (I Jn.2:25).
–Gary Colley