The Overcomer

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." – John 16.33

‘In the world you will have tribulation.’ Well, that’s really encouraging isn’t it? It does not seem like much of a recruiting tool for the Lord’s work. Even stranger it follows the words ‘in Me you may have peace.’

It can appear at times like all we see is tribulation. Sometimes the tribulations are so severe that they almost be smothering. It seems like we can’t even see over the edge, must less overcome the challenges.

The wonderful thing is that we don’t have to find the way to overcome. Jesus prefaces His remark about tribulation by saying we will have peace. He says that we can be of good cheer. How is that possibly? It is possible only because He has overcome the world already. The word ‘overcome’ is translated in other places as ‘victorious.’ Paul writes of how we can rejoice because we always walk in triumph in this present world.

We may never see the way to overcome the problems we face in this world. The good thing is that because Christ is with us we don’t have to do the overcoming. Christ has already done it. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in this old world. 

We have peace. We have good cheer. Because HE has overcome!