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Heroes of faith are often different from how we imagine them.
Two years ago in India, I heard the story of a girl from an orphanage in Bihar. Her relatives brought her to their home village, supposedly to get to know her better. She didn't know, however, that at around 11 years old (still common practice in some parts of India), she was to be married off. And to a freedom fighter who was several years older and always carried a machine gun.
When the wedding day arrived, a sacrificial ceremony was to take place, and offerings were to be made to the idols. This little girl refused—on pain of death—to sacrifice to the false gods because she believed in Jesus and wanted to belong only to Him. Thereupon, the groom chased her away, and she was allowed to return to the orphanage.
Several years later, the bandit's brother fell critically ill. No doctor could help him, and his life seemed to be slipping away. Then the freedom fighter remembered his young, pious bride and brought her back to his village. He gave her an ultimatum, saying, "Pray for my brother; if your God heals him, you will live. If he dies, I will kill you too."
She agreed, but with one condition: "If your brother gets well, you must turn to Jesus and serve Him alone." He agreed. The girl prayed, and her brother was healed. He converted, they married, and today he is the pastor of a Christian church, and despite persecution, they proclaim salvation through Jesus Christ in their community. Are they overcomers? I think so.
“ For everyone born of God overcomes the world . This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith . Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).
Jesus highlights a special faith in certain people, one that you wouldn't normally expect from them. A centurion who was a colonel in the army would never be considered a prime example of faith in our society, yet Jesus said of him: “ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. Turning around, he said to the crowd that followed him, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith in Israel! ’” (Luke 7:9).
We overcome because we can always count on the help of the Almighty. We can rely on Him! Image source: AdobeStock_296276717 @ Lemonsoup14
When a woman in the region of Tyre came to Jesus to ask for his help for her daughter, who was tormented by Satan, Jesus ultimately said to her: “ Woman, your faith is great; let it be done to you as you wish ” (cf. Mt 15:28). She was not even one of God’s people, and yet Jesus attested to her great faith.
On the other hand, Jesus sometimes rebuked his disciples, saying to Peter, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (cf. Mt 14:31). And this after he had already walked some steps on the water. Another time, when they were caught in a storm on the lake, Jesus rebuked them again, saying, “Where is your faith?” (cf. Lk 8:25). When we consider this, Jesus’ assessment of people’s faith can seem a bit confusing.
“ Who is it that overcomes the world? … The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God ” (cf. John 5:5). Just like us, these people struggled with problems and great difficulties. They heard about Jesus, who was described as the Son of God. They went to Him, believed that all power in heaven and on earth had been given to Him, and received help and salvation from Him.
Christians overcome in times of crisis
So what is so necessary for us today? We live in a time where everything is changing very quickly, and many are experiencing great uncertainty. Corona has turned the whole world upside down, and some of our loved ones have passed away. All the discussions about vaccination, the various revelations being spread, and the worry about mandatory vaccination are making many Christians very anxious and uncertain. I can imagine how Jesus would speak to us if He were among us: “ Where is your faith? ”
Throughout history, there have been severe crises that God's people, in particular, have had to overcome. The first Christians were persecuted, and some even had to give their lives as victims. Yet their faith was so steadfast that they often faced death with radiant faces and departed from this life with songs on their lips, often enduring the most excruciating agony. Stephen spoke before his death: " Look! I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God " (Acts 7:56). They were conquerors of this world, through their witness and their faith in the Son of God.
Islam and the Dark Ages repeatedly put many Christians to a severe test, forcing many to endure torture and martyrdom to remain faithful to the Lord. The era of slavery, the World Wars, famines, and communism were other hardships that God's people had to endure. Our problems are incomparable to those of our predecessors. And yet, we too must understand today that only faith in Jesus can carry us through all difficulties.
Faith that overcomes the world
As I prepared for a sermon on this topic and repeatedly reflected on it, I experienced great joy and deep peace during the sermon. I repeatedly observed the profound impact on our lives when we engage deeply with God's Word and prayer . If we follow the news and events of the world daily, we can become disgruntled and even discouraged. However, when we focus more intently on Jesus and His Word, we experience joy and confidence that allow us to look to the future with courage.
Throughout history, there have been severe crises that the people of God in particular have had to overcome.
Therefore, let us devote our thoughts more to the Word of God and continually look to Him in prayer, the One who created the entire universe and holds world events in His hands. We should come to Him with all our worries, illnesses, and problems; He wants to care for us. Then we can be conquerors in all things.
Smith Wigglesword, through whom God performed mighty deeds, wouldn't even allow a newspaper in his house. It was the time of the Second World War, and people eagerly read the warmongering propaganda and all the other terrible news every day. This man wouldn't let anyone bring a newspaper into his home. He devoted himself solely to the Word of God, and that gave him great authority in his ministry. He never read any book other than the Bible, and that was probably the secret to his powerful ministry. I don't mean to say that we shouldn't read newspapers or books anymore. But we should continually ask ourselves, "What are our minds occupied with?"
Jesus encouraged the disciples with his words: “ I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ” (John 16:33)
Paul, an overcomer
When we consider the life of the Apostle Paul, we are amazed at how this former persecutor of the churches later endured the worst persecutions and punishments himself, and despite everything, joyfully and courageously spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 11, we read a list of his trials for Christ's sake. But they did not deter him from following Christ. What was his secret? His faith in Jesus . It was always his desire to know Him better and to complete his life's journey in faith in Him. In the letter to the Philippians, we learn his motto for life:
“ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have lost all these things and consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. […] I want to know him and the power of his resurrection and to participate in his sufferings, being conformed to his death, so that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead ” (Philippians 3:7-11/ NIV).
Faith and fellowship with Him enabled him to overcome every situation. That is what we need today as well. To have Jesus and His peace in our hearts—that is victory. When we look at the events around us, worry and fear can overwhelm us. But if we look only to Jesus and get to know Him better and better , then we can look to the future with confidence. Let us learn to look to Him. His Word, prayer, and worship services give us the best opportunities to do so. Living this way, we will never be put to shame.
“ Those who look upon him will be radiant, and their faces will not be ashamed ” (Ps 34:6).
In this way, we too can be conquerors in this world at all times.
Ernst Fischer
Municipality of Cloppenburg