“He who overcomes.” Revelation 3:12
The church at Philadelphia is running the race for the Lord. They started well. They stand for the Lord and declare His name faithfully despite trials and suffering (earthquakes) and persecution and temptations to compromise (attacks by the assembly of Satan). The Lord has commended their persistence while at the same time He challenges them not to quit mid-race. (Paul echoes this challenge to the Galatians, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”).
Now the Lord closes His letter to the Philadelphians as He has every other letter – He directs His remarks to the overcomers.
In the churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia, overcomers likely make up the great majority of the congregation. These two churches that suffer and soul-win are not attractive to the world. They are too radical, too non-compromising. So a large percentage of the Philadelphian church listen attentively to the Lord’s next to the last words to them. In this case the Lord addresses the overcomers by giving them three promises, three “I wills” designed to encourage and keep their focus on the finish line.
He who overcomes The Lord addresses true believers. With this term He makes it plain we are in a battle. Satan and the world desire to overcome us, to defeat us from fulfilling out mission. The life on this earth for believers should be a battle, not ease. Titus tells us that doubters try to overwhelm us with their arguments against God. “Keeping to the true word of the teaching, so that he may be able to give comfort by right teaching and overcome the arguments of the doubters.” Paul tells Timothy evil men try to overcome us through deceit. “Evil and false men will become worse and worse, using deceit and themselves overcome by deceit.” So we are in a battle and our mission is to overcome the enemy. Scripture tells us we do that by following the example of Jesus. The Lord told his disciples in the upper room “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world.” We know that overcomers are those who stay separate from the love of the evils of this world. While showing the world the love of God. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) We know that overcomers are victorious by showing forth Christ’s righteousness. “Till he has made righteousness overcome all” (Matthew 12:20) We know overcomers show the love of Christ to the world. “But we are able to overcome all these things and more through his love.” (Romans 8:37) We know the strength to overcome is from the Lord alone. “But praise be to
God who gives us strength to overcome through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15:57)
John tells us we overcome as we grow and mature as believers. “I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.” (I John 2:13) Most importantly we are told the core of the overcomer is our faith. “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:5)
Finally, we are told the overcomer’s heart. “They overcome him by reason of the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony, and have not loved their life even unto death.”
What can we learn? Overcomers are living sacrifices. They give their life each day to the Lord to lead as He desires. Theirs is “not to reason why, theirs is but to do or die”. Many claim to be followers but are not willing to climb onto the altar of sacrifice to God. “Examine yourselves to see ejether yow are in the faith.”