Servias Ministries Blog

We are fully equipped to overcome the enemy if we will realize what Jesus made available to us and not be ignorant.

D. L. Moody said, “The reason so many Christians fail all through life is that they underestimate the strength of the enemy… The nearer you get to the Cross, the fiercer the battle.”

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 12:

28  But, if I drive out demons by the power of the Spirit of God, then the end of satan’s kingdom has come!

29 Who would dare enter the house of a mighty man and steal his property? First, he must be overpowered and tied up by one who is stronger than he. Then his entire house can be plundered.

30 “So join with Me, for if you’re not on My side you are against Me. And if you refuse to help Me gather the spoils, you are making things worse.”

It is vital that you understand what Jesus just said.  Don’t refuse to help Him gather the spoils.  This applies to all of those who are being drawn to The Gospel as well as the resources to promote righteousness here on earth.  This is fundamental to our helping the poor in this ministry.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 2:

10  For it was fitting for Him (Jesus), for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many Sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus paved the way for us as Sons and Daughters, to add to the Kingdom.

Jesus also spoke in John chapter 10:

7  So Jesus went over it again, “I speak to you Eternal Truth: I am the Gate for the flock.

8 All those who broke in before Me are thieves who came to steal, but the sheep never listened to them.

9 I am the Gateway. To enter through Me is to experience life, freedom, and satisfaction.

10 A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!

In everything we say and do, let us exalt and properly represent Our King Lord Jesus!  As we become mature and are fully led by The Holy Spirit, we will join with others to become the conquering army of THE LORD.

The Beloved Disciple recorded what he saw in THE SPIRIT in Revelation 12:

10  Then I heard a triumphant voice in heaven proclaiming: “Now salvation and power are set in place, and the Kingdom reign of Our God and the ruling authority of his Anointed One are established. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who relentlessly accused them day and night before Our God, has now been defeated—cast out once and for all!

11 They conquered him completely through the blood of the Lamb and the powerful Word of His testimony. They triumphed because they did not love and cling to their own lives, even when faced with death.

12 So rejoice, you Heavens, and every Heavenly being! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows his time is short.”

There is no doubt that the devil is relentless and desperate in these final days.  Let us as Overcomers be more relentless, knowing that we serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

As overcomers, we deal with the flesh by trusting in the expressed path to sanctification given to us by FATHER!

In the Old Testament, we were given the steps to entering The Holy of Holies, FATHER’s Presence:

The confession and repenting of sin:

Exodus 40:

30  He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing;

31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it.

32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The bronze altar symbolizes our giving God our sin and self and then letting His Blood atone for them:

2 Chronicles 1:6

And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

Molten Sea, which symbolizes being washed by the water of the Word just before entering the Presence of THE LORD:

2 Chronicles 4:2

Then he made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.

After the priests had done all three of these steps, they then entered the Holy Place and worshiped the Lord, which symbolizes our being reconciled with God and able to, once again, have fellowship with Him.

In the New Testament, these steps are stated in:

The Beloved Disciple wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st John chapter 1:

9   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

There is no point to hiding sin, just admit it.  FATHER already knows that you sinned anyway.  Don’t walk in denial!

The second step is to repent.  Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 4:

17   From that time on Jesus began to proclaim His message with these Words: “Repent (Keep turning away from your sins and come back to God), for Heaven’s Kingdom realm is now accessible.”

A part of this step, we must not only ask FATHER for His forgiveness for our own sins, but we must also choose to unconditionally forgive anyone who has wronged us. This releases that person into God’s judgments and justice.

Jesus also spoke in chapter 6:

12   And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

In other Words:

Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.

The third step in overcoming the flesh is that we must now lay everything that the Lord has shown us––all our sin and self-centeredness––down at the Cross. Only the shed Blood of Christ can atone for our sins.

The Beloved Disciple wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st John chapter 1:

9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, He will be faithful to forgive us every time. FATHER is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and He will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 9:

14 Yet how much more will the Sacred Blood of the Messiah thoroughly cleanse our consciences! For by the power of the Eternal Spirit He has offered Himself to God as the Perfect Sacrifice that now frees us from our dead works to worship and serve the living God.

In step four,  we must replace the lies that we have believed with the Truth of God’s Word. We must put Scripture back into our minds where the lies have been.  This requires much time and attention for we are constantly bombarded with lies from the world.  As we unplug from the world, we will find out that it is much easier to change our mindsets to embrace the Truth found in Scripture.  We also will be able to identify lies and blindness of the masses.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4:

22  And Jesus has taught you to let go of the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self-life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions.

23 Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you.

24 And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in His perfect righteousness, and you now belong to Him in the realm of True Holiness.

25 So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the Truth, for we all belong to one another.

As overcomers, we must learn how to be victorious over the flesh and the power of sin at a personal level!

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Galatians chapter 5:

16  I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

In other Words:

Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life. When your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit you hinder Him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.

As I pray in Tongues every morning, I subdue my self-life and yield to The Holy Spirit.

Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:

18  I thank my God I speak in Tongues more than you all;

If Paul who expressed the importance of praying in The Holy Spirit spoke in Tongues in a significant and frequent manner, we should do the same!

The flesh is our old human nature, that is to say, our earthly nature apart from FATHER’S Divine influence.  It is our “old man”: our “natural” thoughts, emotions, and desires that are usually contrary to God’s. This “old man” does not go away when we become believers. It will always be with us. It will always be prone to sin and opposed to God but can be and should be subdued daily.

The term “flesh” also refers to depending upon our own strength and our own ability to accomplish God’s will, rather than depending on His Spirit.  It also includes a long list of things such as pride, cruelty, fear, and other works of the flesh found in Galatians listed by Paul:

19  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

You and I have the daily choice to walk by THE SPIRIT or walk by the flesh but let us not fulfill those works of the flesh.  Instead, let us set our focus on producing fruit of The Spirit:

22  But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is Divine Love in all Its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.

24 Keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus Christ have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self-life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Messiah.

25 If the Spirit is the Source of our life, we must also allow the Spirit to direct every aspect of our lives.

Notice that walking in Agape Love is central to the fruit of THE SPIRIT.  Let us not forget that we were crucified with Christ thus we can overcome the flesh as He did on our behalf (Galatian 2:20).

Paul further wrote in Romans chapter 12:

1  Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be His Sacred, living sacrifices. And live in Holiness, experiencing all that delights His Heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.

2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s Will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His Eyes.

Let our mindset and actions be conformed to HIS Word.  It is our daily choice!

As overcomers, there are three areas we will face: the world, the flesh, and the devil!

Jesus spoke in John chapter 7:

7 The world can’t hate you, but it does Me, for I am exposing their evil deeds.

The Greek word for world is kosmos (Strong’s #2889) and it denotes “the earth in contrast to the heavens.” “The world” is often referred to as “mankind in general,” “the human race,” or “the sum and total of temporal possessions.” It essentially means the present conditions of human affairs in opposition to God’s affairs. It includes worldly riches, endowments, advantages, and pleasures. The main thing to remember is that the world operates by the senses.

Jesus provides us with the perfect example: the rich young ruler.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 19:

21 Jesus said to him, “If you really want to be perfect, go now and sell everything you own. Give your money to the poor and your treasure will be transferred into heaven. Then come back and follow Me for the rest of your life.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad for he had a great many possessions. This rich young ruler lacked the faith to surrender everything in which he trusted. In other words, He loved the world first.

23  Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Beloved Disciple wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st John chapter 2:

15  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Love of the Father is not in him.

6 For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world.

17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The lust of flesh––a strong and sometimes uncontrollable desire for fleshly pleasures: sex, drugs, alcohol, gluttony, or any other physical pleasure. The lust of the flesh is an ungodly passion that tends toward evil. These are some of the things that we “naturally” desire and love before the Lord.

The lust of eyes––a strong and often uncontrollable desire for: wealth, possessions, fame, position, control, vanity, or beauty. It’s the love of material things. Again, these are things we naturally desire before the Lord.

The pride of life––a total inability to see beyond oneself. It’s the height of arrogance and self-sufficiency. This is a person who is totally into himself: what he does, the money he makes and the people he influences—no one else is important. It refers to someone who is totally consumed with self and puts his own cares, his own career, and his own future before God and others.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Galatians chapter 6:

14  May my only boast be found in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In him I have been crucified to this natural realm (world); and the natural realm (world) is dead to me and no longer dominates my life.

We must be the ones who constantly choose not to succumb to those three areas of the world. This means that we must not only rely upon the power of God in us to overcome, but we must also have the faith that He will.

The Beloved Disciple also wrote in 1^st John chapter 5:

4  You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world.

5 So who are the world conquerors, defeating its power? Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Applied faith is the key to overcoming the world!

As believers, we have been given the authority to overcome!

How can we develop the kind of faith that will lead us to victory and to becoming overcomers?

At our new birth God not only gives us His strength (His power) to do His will with the dunamis, kratos, and ischus power of God, He also gives us His authority to choose His will regardless of how we feel or what we think.  The Greek word for this kind of authority is exousia (Strong’s #1849), which means “the right to exercise power or the right of the person in charge”.

This authority originates with God’s Life, because, obviously, He is the Person in charge. He is also the Ultimate Source of all authority.  The Father passed that authority on to Christ, and through Christ, to us.  Because Christ lives in us, we, too, can be bearers of that authority. In other words, exousia belongs to God Himself, but because He has commissioned us as His representatives, we, too, can call upon His authority.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 12:

4  “Listen, My Beloved friends, don’t fear those who may want to take your life but can do nothing more. It’s true that they may kill your body, but they have no power over your soul.

5   The One you must fear is God, for He has both the power to take your life and the authority to cast your soul into hell. Yes, the only One you need to fear is God.

And Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 28:

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

Jesus also spoke in Luke chapter 10:

19 Now you understand that I have imparted to you My authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will harm you as you walk in this authority.

The Word of God is what gives us this authority and the Spirit of God is what gives us the power. These two phenomenal gifts—the authority and power of Christ—are not only the keys to overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil (all the challenges in this life), but they are also the keys to the future Millennial Kingdom.

Our lack of understanding in this critical area of authority is one of the reasons the adversary is making such headway in so many of believers’ lives.  He attempts to keep us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in the dark. He is devoted to keeping us “infants” and “spiritual babes.” He doesn’t want us to progress to spiritual maturity and to develop a Kingdom perspective.

“As many as received Him, to them gave He power [exousia] to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.”

Not my will but Your Will be done!  Because we have Christ’s Divine Nature––His Life in us––we have His authority not only to choose His will (regardless of how we feel or what we think) but also His power to perform His will in our lives no matter how we feel.

Before FATHER can entrust us with authority in the Kingdom to come, He wants to see the manner in which we personally multiply the authority and power He has entrusted to us here on earth. This will determine just how much power and authority we will have in the Millennial Kingdom. This Godly authority and power are really the “keys to the Kingdom” because they allow us to stay sanctified, which in turn leads us to partaking of Christ’s Life, overcoming, and ultimately to inheriting the Kingdom.

It’s the daily release of His Life in us that gives us that victory. He has already given us all that we need—the authority, the power, the Love, and the Wisdom; we simply must choose to let Him accomplish His will in our lives. Then we, too, will be partakers of His victory.

Some of us long to be true overcomers but first, what is an overcomer?

Jesus urges us to be overcomers when He spoke in Revelation chapter 2:

7  The one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying now to all the churches. To the one who overcomes I will give access to feast on the fruit of the Tree of Life that is found in the paradise of God.

11 The one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is presently saying to all the churches. The one who conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

17 But the one whose heart is open, let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is presently saying to all the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will let him feast on the hidden manna and give him a shining white stone. And written upon the white stone is inscribed his new name, known only to the one who receives it.

26 To everyone who is victorious and continues to do My works to the very end I will give you authority over the nations

27 to shepherd them with a royal scepter. And the rebellious will be shattered as clay pots—

28 even as I also received authority from the Presence of my Father. I will give the morning star to the one who experiences victory.

29 So the one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is presently saying to all the churches.

Jesus describes an overcomer who listens carefully to what The Holy Spirit is saying, the one who conquers, the one who is victorious (in battles), the one who does His works, and the one who ultimately experiences victory (in the war).

Many if not most Christians have been taught that if we are believers, we are automatically overcomers.  Sadly, this is not true.  Of those seven churches mentioned in Revelations chapters 2 & 3, none survived and are not in existence today.

Positionally, it’s absolutely true that we are overcomers the moment we believe, because Jesus Christ is in us and He is the True Overcomer.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 16:

31  Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.“

But experientially, in fact, how many of us are actually overcoming in our everyday lives? In truth, most of us haven’t the slightest idea how to really gain victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The Greek word for overcome is nikao (Strong’s #3528), which means “to subdue, conquer, or gain the victory over something.” It occurs almost fifteen times in Revelation alone and means “to have victory over hostile powers.”

Overcomers are those believers who have learned how to refuse the world, forbid the flesh, and bind the enemy. They have learned how to deny themselves, relinquish their self-life regardless of how they feel, what they think, or what they want, and have chosen by faith to trust God’s indwelling dunamis power. They are the genuine conquerors because they have learned how to depend upon Christ’s power to bring about His will.

These are the believers who have survived the furnace of affliction and have come forth as pure gold. They are not perfect, but they are always willing to try again. That’s why they are called overcomers. They know that God will be faithful to cleanse and wipe away their sin and self, and give them a new, fresh start.

John wrote in 1^st John chapter 1:

9  But if we freely admit our sins when His light uncovers them, He will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and He will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The definition of overcoming is simply “freedom from the world”— our circumstances and other’s responses; “freedom from our flesh”—our natural thoughts and emotions; and “freedom from the enemy”—Satan and all his hordes. FATHER has given believers the authority and the power to overcome all three of these hostile powers.

It would be wise to be especially vigilant and “awake” beginning tomorrow. The five wise virgins were constantly prepared.

Faith and works should complement each other.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 16:

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Galatians chapter 2:

16 we know that no one receives God’s perfect righteousness as a reward for keeping the law, but only by the faith of Jesus, the Messiah! His faithfulness has saved us, and we have received God’s perfect righteousness. Now we know that God accepts no one by the keeping of religious laws!

Paul wrote the above passage concerning our faith in Christ and our salvation through Him.  This faith and acceptance of His work is unmerited favor or grace which is our justification, not by our works. We cannot enter the Kingdom by works but only through our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul also wrote in Ephesians chapter 2:

8  For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the Love gift from God that brought us to Christ!

9 So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving.

10 We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny He has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!

Faith established our destiny so that we would do good works which are known as good fruit.

Jesus affirmed this when He spoke in Matthew chapter 5:

15  And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light.

16 So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that your commendable works will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to Your Father in Heaven.”

Our lights were established by grace and our works should result in exalting Our Heavenly Father.  Otherwise, if they promote or exalt you, they are works of the flesh. 

Works (Strong’s #2041, ergon), which means “toil or labor,” can have either a good connotation or a bad one. The works that God refers to as “good” in the Bible are those deeds, actions, and fruit that the Holy Spirit directs and produces through us by His dunamis power. The “bad works” that the Bible refers to are those things that the flesh directs and that are accomplished by our own power and ability. The difference between them is not only the motive behind the action, but also the one accomplishing the work.

“Works of the Spirit” are those actions prompted, directed, and produced by the Holy Spirit and that, ultimately, will bring glory to Christ. In contrast, “works of the flesh” are those deeds done in our own power and ability and that elevate us. The Bible tells us that everything we do is to magnify Christ, not ourselves.

James wrote by The Holy Spirit in his Epistle, chapter 2:

14  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

17 Thus also (a believer’s) faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble!

20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

We don’t do “good works” to earn God’s Love or to earn ourselves a place in the Millennium. Doing good works is simply the outgrowth of “walking by The Spirit.”  Our motive is not to try to earn our way to heaven or to earn rewards, but comes from our Love of God and our desire to do His Will.

What is the goal of our faith?

Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Peter chapter 1:

6  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

8 whom having not seen you Love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9 receiving the end of your faith-the salvation of your souls.

In other Words:

For you are reaping the harvest of your faith—the full salvation promised you—your souls’ victory!

The goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls and this happens at the end of our faith, not the beginning. When FATHER talks about “saving our souls,” He’s not referring to the new birth. He’s talking about the sanctification process––the cleansing, renewing, and transforming––of those who already believe, which occurs at the end of our faith.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 10:

36-You need the strength of endurance to reveal the poetry of God’s Will and then you receive the promise in full.

37 For soon and very soon, “The One Who is appearing will come without delay!” 38 And he also says, “My Righteous ones will live by faith. But if fear holds them back, my soul is not content with them!”

39 But we are certainly not those who are held back by fear and perish; we are among those who have faith and experience true life!

Perseverance or endurance is one of the most important characteristics of faith. The words endure and persevere (Strong’s #5278, hupomeno) mean “to stay under, to undergo, to hold up under [suffering], to be patient, to tarry or to abide under.” Perseverance is “resigned submission to a situation that is out of our control.” It means not to be overtaken by it, but to overcome it. Perseverance is another word for patience and forbearance.

In the chapter of Agape Love, Paul wrote in 1^st Corinthians chapter 13:

4  Love suffers long and is kind; Love does not envy; Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5 does not behave rudely, does not seek Its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the Truth;

7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The purpose of our lives here on earth—including our trials—is to train us to rule and reign with Christ there in the Kingdom. He is constantly testing us to see if we are worthy of such a great responsibility. Endurance and perseverance are two major parts of this testing.

Jesus spoke in Revelation chapter 2:

26  To everyone who is victorious and continues to do My Works to the very end I will give you authority over the nations

27 to shepherd them with a Royal Scepter. And the rebellious will be shattered as clay pots—

28 even as I also received authority from the Presence of my Father. I will give the morning star to the one who experiences victory.

29 So the one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is presently saying to all the churches.

It’s not enough to just enter the race, we must persevere to the very end of the race in order to win.

Paul also wrote in 2^nd Timothy chapter 2:

11  This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

The Overcomers WILL cross the finish line.

Walking in faith is trusting FATHER on a moment-by-moment basis!

Faith comes in the form of a constant choice and it’s a choice we can never stop making, no matter how hard the situation. It’s a choice to follow God and do what He asks, regardless of how we feel, what we think, or what we want. Just as God Loves us unconditionally, we must trust Him unconditionally.

Luke wrote of Paul by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 20:

24  “But whether I live or die is not important, for I don’t esteem my life as indispensable. It’s more important for me to fulfill my destiny and to finish the ministry my Lord Jesus has assigned to me, which is to faithfully preach the wonderful news of God’s grace.

Faith is trusting God even when we’ve been stripped of our position, our finances, our reputation, our comfort, our family, and even our last ounce of understanding. It’s getting to the place where we can say and mean, “I won’t let any of these things move me,” even if that means letting go of all that we hold precious.

The real test of faith comes when we can trust FATHER in the depths of the trial, even before the victory is realized, and even before the promises are revealed.  Faith has to pass the test of disappointment and your urge to want to quit. The enemy will set up every roadblock he can think of to entice us to just give up. We must do just the opposite! When we experience opposition, we must shout our unconditional Love for God from the housetops and be assured in our hearts that the victory will come.

Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Peter chapter 1:

3  Everything we could ever need for life and Godliness has already been deposited in us by His Divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing Him who has called us by name and invited us to come to Him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.

4 As a result of this, He has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises we can experience partnership with the Divine Nature (partakers of the Divine Nature), by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.

Do you have faith in the above Truth?  As overcomers, it is vital that we come to the realization that we can and should walk in what has been deposited in us: HIS Divine Nature!

5 So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness, and to goodness add understanding,

6 and to understanding add the strength of self-control, and to self-control add patient endurance, and to patient endurance add Godliness,

7 and to Godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters, and to mercy toward others add unending Love.

8 Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately.

9 But if anyone lacks (the realization of) these things, he is blind, constantly closing his eyes to the mysteries of our faith, and forgetting his innocence—for his past sins have been washed away.

The above passage is essential to our understanding of who we are in Christ!  We already have all these virtues in us awaiting activation so let none of these remain dormant.  Why?  It is so that we can bring forth good fruit as directed by The Holy Spirit.