One theme runs throughout all of the messages to the seven churches in Revelation 1-3.

Overcoming.

A special promise is given to each church, a promise to those who are overcomers. To the church of Ephesus:

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7.

To the church in Smyrna:

“He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” Verse 11.

To the church in Pergamos:

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” Verse 17.

Thyatira:

“He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.” Verse 26.

To the church of Sardis:

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5.

To the church of Philadelphia:

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” Verse 12.

And finally, to the church of Laodicea:

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Verse 21.

Sounds as though being an overcomer is pretty important doesn’t it?

The Lord certainly gives the one who overcomes some mighty incentives to do so: to be able to eat of the tree of life, of the hidden manna, to receive a new name, to have power over the nations, to be clothed in white raiment, to be a pillar in God’s temple, and to sit down with Christ in His throne.

Sometimes people get the idea when I say that victory is a gift, that it is somehow not that important. Nothing could be further from the truth. Salvation is a gift–is salvation important?

Faith is a gift–is faith important? Repentance is a gift–- is repentance important? God’s goal for us is victory–and even more than victory. He wants us to be “more than conquerors” through Him. Romans 8:37.

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

When God talks about getting the victory, and even “more” than the victory, what victory is it that He is describing? Is it the victory over sins? No. It’s a victory over something far more difficult to control. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, page 141:

“The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is in the domain of the heart. The battle which we have to fight– the greatest battle that was ever fought by man–is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love.”

Notice it is the surrender of self, giving up on ourselves and giving God control, that is the issue–not the surrender of wrong things.

It’s perhaps the only battle in the universe in which the way to victory lies in giving up! And since that is true, then it is inevitable that victory would have to be a gift, for surrender is a gift.

“We cannot, of ourselves, conquer the evil desires and habits that strive for the mastery. We cannot overcome the mighty foe who holds us in his thrall. God alone can give us the victory.” – Ibid., p. 142.

We already noticed the method for obtaining the victory that God gives in the message to the church of Laodicea.

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Emphasis supplied.)

How did Jesus overcome?

Through dependence upon His Father’s power and through relationship with His Father–not through fighting the devil in His own strength, even though He had the strength, which we do not.

Through trust in His Father’s power and might, Jesus was Victor. And through trusting in Him, through faith in Him, we too will gain the victory.

“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4.