We Are More Than Conquerors

My pastor at Omaha Christian Center asked me to write a devotional to send out to our church. This is what I wrote (edited slightly from the original). I pray it will encourage you. The entire world is under siege right now but not even the coronavirus can separate us from Jesus' love. His love is a sure thing in these uncertain times.

We Are More Than Conquerors

Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We’re currently experiencing tribulation, distress, peril, and a myriad of other life-altering challenges. And yet, in the midst of all this craziness, God’s Word declares we’re hupernikao. We are more than conquerors. Hupernikao is a Greek word taken from two other words. Huper means “over and above.” Nikao means “to conquer.”

In my New Spirit Life Bible, it states, “The word describes one who is super victorious who wins more than an ordinary victory, but who is (also) overpowering in achieving abundant victory. This is not the language of conceit, but of confidence. Christ’s love conquered death, and because of His love, we are hupernikao.”

Maybe you don’t feel like you’re an overcomer right now. Perhaps you feel a little like Gideon. Remember him? He was hiding in the winepress when the Lord called him “a mighty man of valor.” His response was, “Who me? I’m from the weakest tribe of Israel.” (Read Judges 6-8 for the full story.)

Perhaps you’re telling the Lord, “Me? An overcomer? You’ve got the wrong person. I’m stuck here in my house and going stir crazy…the kids and their school work are driving me loony…I’m lonely…I’m scared…I can’t pay my bills…Food is scarce…I’m not for sure what the future holds…I’m….fill in the blank to fit your situation.”

Once again, please allow me to give reference to the footnotes of my Bible: “For any Christian who is discouraged this powerful passage gives assurance of Christ’s present love, active at every moment in the Christian’s life. Are any causes of discouragement greater than those Paul mentions (above)? If not, [good news] then we are never in this life separated from Christ’s love. Even in hardships, we can be more than conquerors.”

We’re indeed more than conquerors…not because of our strength or might…but because of His strength and His might poured out on us, His children. The coronavirus can’t separate us from His love. Isolation can’t separate us from His love. Fear can’t separate us from His love. An uncertain future can’t separate us from His love. We are hupernikao.

Life is difficult right now. For many, this has been the greatest trial of their lives. I’m finding out that I can live without a lot of things (well, except maybe toilet paper). However, I can’t live without His love and, thankfully, I don’t have to live without it. Grab a hold of His promises. His love is a sure thing and will see us through.