In this chapter we will consider the God-men and the overcomers.
The God-men are born of God to overcome sin and the world (1 John 3:9; 5:4). As God-men, we were born not only to be saved but also to overcome. First John 3:9 tells us that we were born to overcome sin. Then 5:4 tells us that we were born to overcome the world. Sin and the world are two big seducers. Within us sin is seducing us continually, and outside us the world seduces us. To be an overcomer, we need to overcome the first line of the enemy. In a battle there are battle lines. We have been born of God to overcome the first line of the enemy, which consists of two items, sin and the world.
Not only so, we are destined by God to conquer all the oppositions and persecutions, the hard environments, and the difficult situations (Rom. 8:31, 36-39). After being saved, we, the God-men, are destined to travel not on a plain, smooth highway but on a rugged way full of troubles, trials, temptations, persecutions, attacks, and oppositions (John 15:20a; Acts 14:22; 1 Thes. 3:4; 2 Tim. 3:12; 2 Cor. 11:23-27). Before we were saved, many of us had a smooth family life. Because we believed in the Lord Jesus, our family life may have become very rugged. Nevertheless, we are destined to conquer. This is the second line of the enemy that we must overcome.
After being saved, many Christians are unable to overcome sin and the world. Rather, they become indulgent in their lust and in their enjoyment of worldly pleasures. Some believers temporarily overcome sin and the world, but they are not able to overcome the problems and the difficulties and all kinds of attacks, criticisms, persecutions, and oppositions. They do not dare to take the Lord’s way, which is a constricted and rugged way (Matt. 7:14). Hence, they compromise with the opposition that they encounter. For example, to please his unsaved wife, a believing husband may compromise by participating with her in the enjoyment of worldly entertainments and pleasures. Many Christians know that they should overcome certain things, but when they are threatened by opposition, they compromise.
Concerning the church life, some Christian leaders know that the denominations are wrong, but they dare not say anything. They dare not give up their involvement with their denomination, because they are afraid of losing their position as a pastor or a minister. This is the second line of the enemy that we must overcome.
Sin and the world are the first line of Satan, and the oppositions and persecutions, hard environments, and difficult situations are the second line. In addition to these two lines, the enemy has built up a third line to frustrate the lovers of Christ from going on to follow Him. This third line is the degradation of the churches. The God-men are born of God to overcome the first line of Satan, and they are destined by God to conquer the second line. To overcome the third line, the God-men have been called by the Lord among the churches to be the overcomers (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21).
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