As You Have Received...So walk!

1 John 4:6
You are from God, little children, & you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

You and I, as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, are conquerors in Him.  Let that resonate a moment...

Why am I a conqueror?  Because Christ is in me by the power of His Holy Spirit and He is a conqueror, period.  Too often I make excuses, but I am weak (why yes, yes I am)...Matthew 26:41 & Mark 14:38 "Stay awake and pray, so that you will not enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." AND 2 Corinthians 2:10 "I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures because of Christ.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  

Again, why?  2 Corinthians 2:9 "But He (Jesus) said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me."

My weakness is a given; however it is not to be my focus.  I am to look to Him and recognize all I am and all I have because of Who He Is!

My prayer for you and I is what Paul prayed:
  Colossians 2:2-3; 6-7
(vs. 2-3) "I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery -- Christ.  All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him." 
(vs. 6-7) "Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude."

If we go on to Colossians 3 we are commanded to "seek what is above", to "set our minds on what is above" - Christ!  Verse 3 states, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God."

We are also commanded to "put away all the following:  anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.   Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self.  You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator."  Colossians 3:8-10

All of this and so much more is what makes us More Than Conquerors -- In Christ!!

Too often, almost daily in fact, I live as if I am defeated.  I do not want to!!! I want to remember and be reminded often of all that I am in Christ!!!  Do you?

How do we live this way consistently?  I struggle.  You struggle.  And we will continue to struggle until that glorious day when we are in heaven; BUT I am saying we struggle less if we remind one another of who we are in Christ.  If we pray for one another and let the other know that they are prayed for.  We are so isolated.  We go about our own business day in and day out without even realizing how little we are apart of community.  It takes much effort to be a part -- and yet I believe this is one of the tactics of the enemy - to keep us thinking we are to be busy, self-sufficient and unwilling to share the struggles that we all face daily.  Therefore we rarely live out what James 5:16 commands, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.  The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect."  And beyond the sharing, we are to PRAY for one another, not just share the struggle.  The burden is not lifted until we pray, but the enemy convinces us our time is better spent doing than being in prayer.  Remember it is Christ who is our righteousness, so we do not have to have it all together to pray for others!  I am so thankful!



Father God, You alone have made us more than conquerors through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Thank You for Your provision and the fact that You are all sufficient.  Remind us and help us to step out and remind one another that we have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him!  God, may we be rooted and established in the faith.  May we set our minds on You moment by moment.  Our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak, Lord, so please get our attention.  Forgive me for living as if I am defeated.  Forgive me for focusing more on myself than on You and TRUTH that You have provided all that I need to live victoriously.  Thank You, Jesus for forgiving me and making me Yours.  Thank You for being faithful all of the time, never wavering in Your love for me and for each of us.  Reveal Yourself to us through this day and give us ears to hear You and Your strength, Jesus, to obey.  It is because of Jesus I pray, Amen.