A City Filled with Overcomers

By Rex Rouis

Imagine a city with no hint of sickness or death. A place where everyone is happy and thoroughly enjoying the company of everyone else. One where people walk in peace, without hurt, sorrow, or dread. A city with a leader that is lovingly acquainted with everyone there.

The City

Be encouraged, even as I write this, Jesus is preparing just such a place for us. He said so in John 14:3, “…I go to prepare a place for you.” And this place is a real city, with all the things cities have – streets, homes, parks, public buildings, and people. Jesus is the leader of the city, and He died for every citizen there. And YOU are meant to live there. It is the great reward of the church, and we would do well to think about it often. The book of Revelation may have challenging parts, but the final two chapters read clear. Let us read a short section from Chapter 21.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,

Behold, the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:1-5

Notice that God says three times that He is going to personally make His home with us. To be a Christian is to be a member of His own family. The result of all that is written in the Bible is a divine city where God can be forever close to the ones He loves. This speaks volumes about the heart of God and the love He has for His people. He paid an impossibly high price for us in the death, burial, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Who was raised again in order that He would become our Savior and the Ruler of this soon-to-come city – the New Jerusalem.

The Inhabitants

But what about the people of this great city? Who will live there? God goes on to use only one word to describe this city’s inhabitants.

He who OVERCOMES will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. Revelation 21:7

God refers to the inhabitants of this great city as ‘overcomers’ and nothing else. Only one word. This word is used very little in the New Testament. Let us look at a few of those instances.

Jesus overcame the world.

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

We overcome the evil one when we accept Jesus as the Lord of our life.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. I John 2:14

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. I John 4:4

How do we overcome? By believing in Jesus as the Son of God!

For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? I John 5:4, 5

Overcome in Every Area of Life

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we essentially unaccepted all that the world had to offer, both good and bad. By believing in Jesus as the Son of God, we overcame the evil one and accepted Jesus, the Son of God, as our Lord and Savior. We are now overcomers by virtue of our new birth in Jesus Christ. Jesus, the great Overcomer, now lives inside of us. Our nature is now one of love and overcoming. And we do it all by His grace through faith in Him.

The word ‘overcomers’ speaks of individuals who have now taken the power and promises of God and have turned them into victories in their lives. It is used as a comprehensive word for success over the things of the world. This has nothing to do with religion. It is all about winning the victory in Him, by Him, and for Him.

Behold, the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Now that we have been reborn with the nature of an overcomer let us live that way. We should strive to overcome in every area of our lives. When tempted with anger, unforgiveness, or bitterness, instead choose to overcome through love and mercy. Are you fighting a life and death battle with hopelessness and depression? Do not give up hope. Work in God’s grace to bring His light back into your heart so you can again see the hope that exists all around you. Are there hurting people within your reach? Lay your life down and help them. Be God’s hand in this dark world, and overcome for them on behalf of God Himself. Is anyone fighting a battle with a disease? Fight back with all you have in faith. Faith for healing is all about overcoming. Seek Him in all things to receive from Him in all things. His answer is the answer to all our desires.

So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the (spoken) word of Christ. Romans 10:17

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. Mark 11:24

Faith is the reality of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen. Hebrews 11:1

Respond to all that this life throws at you with the power of the next life. Your battle is not just about you and your situation. It is about exhibiting God’s power and grace in this world, in every way you can. Each victory is a victory for Him. Every time you respond with God’s power, you receive more of Him, and you become more like Him. Faith, pleases Him and victories glorify Him.

The Reward

This life is incomplete without the next life. This life is one of conflict. The next one rewards us for the victories won in those battles. The Bible was written with both in mind. Seven times in the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks of rewarding overcomers – read more about that here. The next life is the all-important one because it is the eternal one. We Christians, being that we are now in-Christ, can only taste eternal life through faith in Him, and through the Holy Spirit. We have not yet received our eternal bodies or our eternal reward. Now is the time for faith and obedience. Now is the time to win the victories that will accrue to His glory. We will also enjoy the fruit of those victories, both in this life and in the next.

Start small but start now.
Start practicing this now. Find something in your life to overcome. Do something different. Love the difficult or help the needy. Look past your weakness and walk in all that God has. Start small but start now, and then let it grow. Watch yourself grow into the fullness and stature of all that God wants you to be. Feel the change inside. Experience the peace of one who is on the path to their heavenly home. The eternal home of an Overcomer.

He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'” Revelation 3:21

Comments

  1. Hi Rex, my friend and bother. We have had good conversations about this but as my faith mechanic, I need a tune up.

    My life has been one of constant doubt and fear. When I was 18 I was homeless and lost. I came to Christ at age 19 but this world grinned me up like a meat grinder. I grew up in a godless home and really never recovered from it. Back in 2020 I had a spiritual awakening that rocked my world. Things have improved immensely since then but I will be honest, what has happened in this wretched world in the last 3 years has continued to test my faith.

    I agree with all you said in this post but living this out daily has not been easy. I love to read about this new city this new life we will have, but I long for it to the point I just wish God would come back and save us all before it gets really bad. The USA and other parts of the world are in grave danger and it’s obvious a nuclear war is imminent. The prospects of this Revelation 18 event is so obvious I just can’t stop thinking about how bad it’s gonna get unless God raptures us all and saves us. Because I still have 2 kids to raise I shudder to think of what it will be like when an EMP goes off and we have no electricity or basic things. Look at the people in Ukraine, that is coming to the USA very soon. I need better faith because this is going to happen and I just hope God rescues us soon.

    It is getting old to be honest and I just don’t understand why God is allowing all this evil to persist. I do have saving faith but my faith day to day is lacking at times. The old man, the flesh just doesn’t want to die in some areas.

    I am waiting on a very large inheritance to help me with income but God has delayed that for way too long. I no longer have the ability in this world to get a job/income with the line of work I have been doing for 22 years so I just don’t get it. How much longer can I just “do nothing” and have faith? How much longer can I wait? Seriously, jobs/employement for a man who has 2 kids to raise is really important but God has denied me even employment, real employment. It goes deep and it’s hard to explain here in writing but I have hit a wall with employment and the well has dried up.

    My mom is 90 years old and has lived a godless life. I have tried to witness to her many times but she rejects God. This inheritance would give me the lifeline I need but God just delays. I can only think it is because I am not righteous enough to receive it, but that too gets me angry at the Lord because I have pressed in for almost 40 years trying to live this Christian life. Why is she worthy of it but not me. Yea I get it, it’s “her money” but honestly the Bible does say the Wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. So why can’t I have it? maybe it will come tomorrow but because I cannot get a job, it is beyond me why I have to wait one more hour…..

    This stagnation is really draining me and I just don’t accept a lot of the pat answers other Christians give me about this topic. I just don’t understand why God would allow my mom to have this money but only deny me this in a time I need it most. I have worked many jobs all my life and not been lazy but now I have just hit a wall and there is no jobs to be had. I could do wonderful things with this trust fund, bless my family, bless others so it becomes a point of resentment that a godless woman can have these resources but God won’t release it. My mom has been a curse to my life, my whole life and its it a miracle I did not end up being like her spiritually but enough is enough.

    To the outsider who doesn’t know the context this reply might sound selfish but it’s not. I have waited and been patient for 57 years and at this point I just either want to go to this New City or get the inheritance to continue to pay the bills and have a better life. It is hard to read about this City when I have to live in this world anymore. It is hard to read the Bible sometimes when my current reality is the way it is.

    Don’t get me wrong, my faith now compared to 2 years ago is way better but it is draining me to see my loved ones lost and the majority of people in this world completely lost. How much longer do we have to wait for this new City? How much longer do we have to watch the world go to hell and evil persist ? How much longer will God tolerate such wickedness? How do I reconcile this inheritance not being released to my family in a time I need this the most? Yes God is my source, yes the inheritance isn’t but I now have no source of income and just sit and wait. I do make myself busy and am working in other ways, I am not lazy and just sit around and surf the net but I could do so much more if this inheritance could just be released. I cannot accept the pat answers anymore. People have told me I need to pray that the devil will take his hands off this inheritance so maybe that is the truth about this topic. Yes the New Heaven, the New City is the ultimate answer we know this to be true, but how do I walk it out in the meantime other than just hearing “be patient’, “have faith”? (sorry this was so long, I did not think my reply would be this long). Love you by bother!

    1. Dear Eric,
      I read your response and I understand. Our hearts cry to God and surely He hears. He looks on us with compassion and love. It is very important to believe that God is good and that He loves us. He is not a punishing God, but He does protect the righteous. His wrath that so many people misunderstand is really a protective mode for the righteous and against the wicked who threaten them. That is why God calls hell His “strange work.” He is not a destroyer, but a Creator. Because creation was corrupted by sin, He is forced to make choices to save the righteous and wipe those who cling to sin from the Universe. He will restore the purity of the Universe at the time of His coming. I do not believe in eternal hell, nor that there is a hell currently. It is not in God’s nature to torture people. The words “eternal fire” refer to the nature of holy fire which does its work quickly and purges in a hell that will exist 1000 years after Jesus comes. Then the fire goes out and the Universe is restored. This is not a mainstream belief. It is held by Seventh-Day Adventists and you can learn more at amazingfacts.org. Think of Sodom and Gommorah in Jude 1:7. It says that these cities suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. But I ask you whether they are burning today? NO. we know their location. they are no longer burning. It is the same with hell. The fire goes out.
      I want to kindly let you know that there is a mistake in your thinking about God. I believe you are unjustly blaming Him for things that He is not responsible for. Please re-think it when you feel sure God is against you. He is for you and loves you. He is wanting the best for you and He is good. Rather, I urge you to think about sin and Satan and his evil angels. they are the source of all evil. humans are corrupted by sin and can cause bad events as well. We have free will. There are also some random happenings at times. Things fall off of buildings. volcanoes erupt. It’s not that God is trying to hurt us. It’s just that sometimes bad things happen to good people. The Bible assures us that all things work for good to those who love God. Believe He can turn this around. Believe that nothing happens without the Father knowing it. Not a sparrow falls from the sky….. Our world definitely has its share of sorrow. But God is with us through it. He didn’t promise to save us from the crucible. He promised to save us through our trials. Feelings can be negative but they do not kill. Only actions kill. We are all expected to work through frustrations, pray, hope, and praise God even in adversity. For He is worthy! God is in control of the big picture, but He is letting our mistakes play out ever since the fall of Adam and Eve. And Satan became the prince of this world. We are surely in the crucible with Satan and wickedness and random events, and even red tape like an inheritance locked up in probate. This will play out. We will suffer. But the point is: Keep believing that God is good. Be faithful to love Him and hope in HIm always. Because HE IS the only answer. He is the only solution. He is the only one that can help. And He does and He will finally put all this behind us.
      The only comfort I can really give in all this is that you are loved, you are not alone. You will find paradise in the New Heavens and the New Earth. Stick with it! Keep trying. It is not in vain to orient yourself to good works in the meantime. Think of others. Certainly many have even worse trials. Thinking outwardly like that is a welcome distraction from what we are going through, waiting for, or suffering.

  2. HALLELUJAH TO JESUS, AMEN AND AMEN!
    For those who are not Saved this read is an enlightening, strong, and in depth explanation for a call to Jesus Christ.

    For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour, but has fallen along the way side this read is a Call To “Return To Their First Love”.

  3. Thanks for sending me this mail. God bless you immensely. I pray to God believing that I will overcome every difficulty in this life and enjoy glory in eternity.

    1. Author

      Antoinette – You WILL overcome. Keep the Word of God always before your eyes, and forever speak it out of your mouth. You are an overcomer. We love you. Rex

      1. This blessed me so much. Rex thank you for writing what the Holy Spirit told you. You are a blessing. I love this website. One of my favorites. Have gone here many times searching for answers. Thank you for sharing this and helping me.

        Sincerely,

        Howard

        1. Author

          Howard – Thank you so much. By the way, we are starting a podcast so keep an eye out. And subscribe to the email thingy for information. It is called How Does That Work? And other thoughts about God. God bless. We love you. Rex

  4. Rex
    Thank you for this well said TRUTH. All Overcomers can receive these Blessing by
    walking and being obedient to God’s Word. This is great to know. Thanks again

    1. Author

      Glenn – Thank you and bless you guys. This is your eternal home! But not for a good while. We love you. Rex

  5. Thank you, my friend of many years. Beautiful writing. I am so happy you are writing again.

    Perhaps I’ll see you online at Zoom Church. You’ll love it. Ask me how.

    1. Author

      Thank you so much. And, I do want to know how. More to come. Rex

  6. Thank you, Rex! In times like these, we need to focus on what is uplifting and continue to build God’s kingdom. You have done this through a beautiful writing on overcoming. I am grateful for this site and I pray that many people will be helped by it. Lord, please help them find it!
    Sandy

    1. Author

      Sandy – Yep to all of that. Thank you. We love you. Rex

      1. Pls tell me when The Almighty Lord Yahowa permeshwar and Jesus ressurested her and dropped her at home ALIVE.
        I lost my sister Arachna last 28 August 20 unfortunately suddenly and I m praying to jesus for resurrection alive her and return back her to home alive immediately very soon
        He is mercy full MIGHTY LORD he surely raised her into life from death
        Pls Ask him when he dropped her at home ALIVE
        Regards Bhawna

    1. Thank you appreciate that word reminding. Us. Of God’s love

  7. I love being first, Rex. I am very happy for you to be back, back in such a time as this with timely truths explained from God’s Word. I know it takes much reading, studying, meditation – just being alone to hear God speak. It blesses my heart to be your friend.

    1. Author

      Andrew – I too am glad that you are first. What a wonderful sight to see your note. Yes, I am back. My daughter is helping me with all the myriad of things that go along with a site like this.

      I have had this message rolling around in me for a great while. And there are many more to come. God is so good. This walk of ours is bigger than we could ever know. What an exciting time this is. What an adventure!

      Andrew, God bless you, my true friend. Rex

      1. I have finally decided to be part of this journey. Since i joined this group i have never said anything, but now is the time for me to add value. I thank you for the gospel you have written. I totally agree with u that we need to exercise our faith to the fullest at this juncture. This an opportunity for Christians to prove that indeed God is in control. We need not be afraid as the scripture says in 2 Timothy 1:7. For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self control. We must be bold & stand on the promises of God. The word of God must not depart from our eyes and we must meditate on it day and night. We must act as the scripture says faith without works is dead.

        1. Author

          Sharpson – Thank you. Go for it. You can go as far as you want to in God. We love you. Rex

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