In Faith & Weakness We Are Over-comers!

by Jerry Olson
olsonjd@netscape.com

Who are these overcomers?

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down. By faith Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David
and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of
fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong." (Heb.
11:30-34)

Paul told his spiritual brothers, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with
excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I
determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was
with you in weakness, fear, and much trembling" (I Cor 2:1-3).

We also read where Paul had a weakness in his flesh and asked that it be removed. But
what was the Lord’s reply? "Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times
that it might depart from me. And He said to me, " My grace is sufficient for you, for
My strength is made perfect in weakness." (II Cor 12:8-9).

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in
distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Cor 12:10).

All Christians are to become overcomers.

I Cor 4:1 says, "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
I John 3:1 says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we
should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did
not know Him."

Joel 2:12: "Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting,
with weeping, and with mourning."

Jesus said to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41).

Jesus gave us an example for our Christian walk with Him.

Let us read about what He did prior to a great encounter with the devil, when He knew He
would need extra strength. "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward
He was hungry. Then the tempter came to Him…" (Matt. 4:1-3). Jesus was very weak in
the flesh at this point, however He was very strong in the spirit. He knew that He needed
this extra "power from on high" in the form of the Holy Spirit, in order to defeat the devil,
at the devil’s game.

Notice what it says in Matt.17: 15-21: "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic
and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought
him to your disciples, but they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, ‘O
faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear
with you? Bring him here to Me.’ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of
him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then His disciples came to Him
privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast him out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of
your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will
say to this mountain, "Move from here to there", and it will move; and nothing will be
impossible for you. However, this kind [of faith] does not go out except by prayer and
fasting."

Luke 2:36-37: "Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was of great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her
virginity; and this women was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart
from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Act 10:30-31: "And Cornelius said, " Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at
the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright
clothing, and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are
remembered in the sight of God."

Act 13: 2-3: "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, " Now
separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having
fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away."

If we want to be strong in the Spirit of God, we will want to fast. I think it is
obvious that these people fasted so as to accomplish work for God, and be close with
God. They didn’t do it to be seen of men or to serve self, but to have power from on high,
for the Lord’s work. We will find power in weakness.

I Cor 2:3-5: "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my
speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of
men but in the power of God.

I Cor 15: 42-44: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption,
it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

II Cor 13:4: "For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of
God For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the Power of God toward
you."

By faith they overcame their weakness.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would
afterwards receive as an inheritance (Heb 11:8).

Noah was a man who endured hostility and ridicule from men for over 100 years because
he had faith that God would do as He said.

Joseph remained faithful to God through many hardships and in spite of brotherly hatred,
slavery, deception, and imprisonment.

Joshua and Caleb were the only adults of the original children of God that came out of
Egypt that were allowed by God to enter into the promised land, because they were men
of faith.

All of these individuals; like you and me today, had to remain strong in the faith,
although weak in our flesh, for each must endure their own humanity and weakness.

Ministers of God & Ministers of Christ through weakness!

II Cor 6:4-6: "But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God; in much
patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults,
in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by
kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love."

II Cor 11:22-28: "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they
the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool – I am
more. In labors, more abundant; in stripes, above measure; in prisons, more
frequently; in deaths, often; from the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one;
in weariness and toil; in sleeplessness often; in hunger and thirst; in fastings often; in
cold and nakedness. Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily – my deep
concern for all the churches." As servants of God through faith, these overcomers
did these works!

I Cor 4:1-2: " Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful".

James 1:21-22: "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and
receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

James 2:19-20: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe
and tremble. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

Gal 5:22-25: "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness; gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those
who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the
spirit, let us also walk in the spirit."

Overcomers will share the fruit of the spirit with all men, regardless of how they
are treated, as they walk out their faith with humility.

Phil 3: 8-9: "But indeed I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which
is from God by faith."

Col. 3:12: "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long sufferings."

Col .3:14: "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

Titus 2:11-13: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men;
teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

Overcomers have endurance through faith in Jesus our Lord!

Eph 6: 10-12: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His
might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in
the heavenly places."

Hebrews 10:36: "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the
will of God, you may receive the promise."

I pray we will maintain our vigilance as servants for our Lord, be strong in our
walk with boldness and purpose, that we can stand with Him in His kingdom.

**** WARNING ****

Rev 3: 16-17: "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew
you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich have become wealthy, and have need
of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

Rev 21: 4-7: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And
He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is
done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the
fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all
things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."

Our power over our fleshly weakness is found in the strength of our faith, as we
learn to rely on our Lord. For in Him only, is our salvation, and in Him only are

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