As Christians, we are overcomers.  It is nothing to brag about because the ability to overcome is only ours through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:13 (ESV)
¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

God gives us the strength to be overcomers.  Let us look at a few things this week that we can, or already have, overcome, beginning with the world.

1 John 5:4–5 (ESV)
⁴ For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Faith in Christ is where it all begins.  Jesus warns, “…unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).  Faith in Christ and obedience to His gospel (Romans 1:16) is where we find redemption from our sins by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 1:7 (ESV)
⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

What is this world that we overcome through Christ?  It is the realm of ungodliness over which the devil is god (2 Corinthians 4:4), and John gives us a good picture of it.

1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)
¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

The desires of the flesh and eyes, and the pride of life, cover almost all sins.  How do we overcome them?  There is a sense in which we already have.  As we have seen, when we obeyed the gospel, we were set free from sin and its consequences (Romans 6:4-7).  But we continue to prevail against them because God has given us everything we need to do so.  Consider one more passage with me.

2 Peter 1:3–4 (ESV)
³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 

Notice, there is nothing that we need to obtain life and godliness that we lack.  God has given us His word to defend us against all the assaults of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-17).  He has given us prayer to help us in times of need (Hebrews 4:16).  And He watches over us constantly with His providential care, promising to be with us always (Matthew 28:20).  God has certainly done His part, now we must do ours.

Galatians 6:14 (ESV)
¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.