Overcoming the World - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- Jul 26
- 6 min read
Overcoming the World
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
I. The Identifying Status
Over and over again, this chapter refers to those that are “of God.”
John 1
· 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
· 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
We are identified as OF GOD because were were BORN OF GOD.
1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
II. The Indwelling Superiority
As believers, we have the God the Holy Spirit IN US.
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
As believers, we have God the Son IN US.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
As believers, we have God the Father IN US.
Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
1 Corinthians 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
III. The Inevitable Struggle
The word OVERCOME insinuates a battle; a struggle; a resistance to opposition.
Those that are not OF GOD – that do not have GOD IN THEM – cannot and will not overcome.
Those that are OF GOD – that have GOD IN THEM will face things that we will need to OVERCOME.
It is inevitable.
OVERCOME: to conquer
1a) to carry off the victory, come off victorious
1a1) of Christ, victorious over all His foes
1a2) of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions
1a3) when one is arraigned or goes to law, to win the case, maintain one’s cause
We CAN overcome.
· 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
· 1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
And if we do it God’s way, we WILL overcome.
1 John 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1 John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Those of us that are saved are without a doubt going to have to OVERCOME some things.
He gives us a short list in these verses.
A. Spirits – vs. 1
We are clearly commanded to BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT.
We are also clearly commanded to TRY THE SPIRITS.
TRY: to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals, to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy
These spirits are at war with the people of God.
And they do not fight fair.
They are SEDUCING spirits.
· 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
· 1 John 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
B. False prophets – vs. 1
That means that not every preacher; not every teacher; not every pastor; not every evangelist is REAL.
See 2 Peter 2
· 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
· 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
· 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
False teachers and preachers are not always clearly obvious at the beginning.
It takes time.
Just like the parable of the wheat and the tares, God lets them grow alongside the wheat.
You might ask – why would God not remove the seducing spirits?
Why won’t God purge the field of the tares?
Why won’t God get rid of the false prophets and teachers?
He will, but not yet.
Matthew 13
· 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
· 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
· 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
· 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
· 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
· 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
· 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
QUESTION: Why did God allow Judas Iscariot to serve alongside the Son of God and the other disciples for three and a half years?
He was such a phony that even at the Last Supper in the Upper Room, the other disciples had NO IDEA who he really was.
Instead of getting rid of the false prophets, He commanded those that are OF GOD to try them.
He commanded us to have discernment.
He commanded us to know the difference.
C. The world – vs. 3-5
John references THE WORLD 13 times in this one book.
Every reference is negative.
Here are just a few of them:
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Show me a man’s attitude toward the world, and I will tell you if he is OF GOD or not.
Show me a church’s attitude; a ministry’s separation from the world and I can tell you if they are OF GOD.
Conclusion:
· John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
