With chapter 5 John transitions from his emphasis on love to more of an emphasis on faith. Verse 1, for example, refers to both: “Whosoever BELIEVETH that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that LOVETH him that begat (ie. God the Father) LOVETH him also that is begotten of him (God the Son).” Verses 2 and 3 talk of obedience, the offspring of faith and love: “By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God, and keep his commandments.” “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.” That word “grievous” is almost half the time translated as “heavy” or “weighty.” As we all have all personally learned, whether or not we want to admit it: “The way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). But the yoke of Christ is easy. Obedience to the Lord is easy for the Christian because “whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.”
In union with our Saviour, we have a partner who gives us the ability to overcome a lot of things, including our proclivity to disobey God’s will. And how are we in union with Christ? We draw His strength the more we trust and rest on Him. “And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Out of this context, let’s spend a moment or two thinking about verse 4. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Let’s consider the WORLD, the VICTORY and the FAITH.
A couple things about that statement before we move on. John says, “WHATSOEVER is born of God,” and not “WHOSOEVER.” Anything and everything which is born of God overcomes. But even though the word is neuter, the practical application remains: “WHOSOEVER is born of God overcometh the world.” Then secondly, the word “overcometh” is in the verb tense which speaks of a perpetual overcoming. There is a principle involved: whatsoever is born of God lives in constant victory. Any failure is entirely our fault.
Question: What do you think is Satan’s most powerful tool?
I suppose the answer depends on the perspective of the individual. Some might say that Satan’s most powerful too is “the flesh,” and that is an excellent answer. Someone recently reminded us of the little children’s chorus: “Oh be careful little eyes what you see. Oh be careful little eyes what you see. There’s a Father up above who is looking down in love, Oh be careful little eyes what you see. Oh, be careful little ears what you hear. There’s a Father up above looking down in love, Oh be careful little ears what you hear.” The flesh wants to look at things it shouldn’t, and it wants to hear things that do not please God. And by the means of the flesh Satan can attack the soul. The world, the flesh and the devil are very closely allied in their battle against the soul.
But at what are those little eyes looking, and what is it those little ears are hearing? Don’t we watch and listen to our surroundings; our circumstances – in other words, the world? Through our senses: sight, touch, smell, hearing, etc. we all too often permit the world to invade our souls. So even though Satan uses our flesh against us, his poisonous weapon is actually the world around us. Despite the fact that John speaks of the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, he says “love not the WORLD.” How wrong would I be to say that it is the love of the world that makes OBEDIENCE to God grievous?
Even though I should probably wait until I get to our third point on “faith” before I take you to Hebrews 11, let’s go there now. Verse 4: It may have been his flesh that enticed Cain to offer an improper sacrifice to God. But when it came to Abel, the temptation to follow Cain was Cain, not Abel’s flesh. It appears that Abel had nothing in his heart enticing him to offer that worthless vegetable sacrifice. But his circumstance – the world – was pulling on him, but by faith he offered a more excellent sacrifice. The world in which Enoch lived was producing things which drew the eyes and hearts of most of humanity, but by faith that godly man overcame those temptations, not finding God’s commands to abstain, in any way grievous. Hebrews specifically says, “Noah… condemned the WORLD, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Abraham, had to turn his back on the world to obey God “going out, not knowing whither he went.” If any Bible characters depict saints of God in the midst of the world Joseph and Moses certainly do. “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of (worldly) sin for a season.” Almost all of the examples we see in Hebrews are as much victories over the world as over the flesh.
The world is Satan’s primary tool for entering the flesh and destroying or injuring the soul. As gross as it sounds, the flesh is very much like the addict’s needle by which he injects heroin into his veins. Ninety-eight times out of a hundred that injection is self inflicted, and yet it is still at Satan’s behest.
What does the Lord Jesus say about the world in Matthew 16:26? “What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole WORLD, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? James 4:4: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the WORLD is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the WORLD is the enemy of God.” Colossians 3:2: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Ephesians 2:2: “In time past ye walked according to the course of this WORLD, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,” but now you are children of God. Don’t be like Demas, who, “having loved this present WORLD,” forsook Paul and the ministry of the Lord. Paul exhorted us in Romans 12:2: “Be not conformed to this WORLD; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
John teaches that we are to “OVERCOME the world,” not to cater to it or compromise with it. How successful in that are we? Are there more worldly romance novels in your library than Christian biographies and devotional books? Will you rush out the door after this service, so that you can get ready for the evening football game? Do you spend more money on your hobby than you give to missions or the Lord’s work in general. Can you walk past an open bag of Cheetos without indulging yourself? Is the world telling you how to dress when you come to the house of God? He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ should overcome the worldly influences in his life – verse 5.
The world is the great enemy of Bible Christianity.
But there is the potential for VICTORY.
As I said earlier the world, the flesh and the devil are very closely allied against the soul. In so many ways, victory over one is victory over the others. “And this is the victory that overcometh the world…” One of the mistakes young Christians make is thinking they can overcome the world. But remember, “the world” refers to Satan’s entire kingdom. It is the political system in which we live, and the educational system which creates those politicians. “The world” includes Silicon Valley and NASA, the Vatican, Wall Street and Madison Avenue. We cannot overcome, and we are not commissioned, to overcome the world in the ultimate sense.
But isn’t that what John says? Not exactly. We can control only what we can control, and most of the time we need help even to do that. For example, you personally cannot put a godly man in the White House when the vast majority of Americans are drooling over various ungodly men. And do you really think that Christians are going to get rid of the liberal news media? For years, I have been putting articles in our weekly church bulletin defending and promoting creation, but I’m not foolish enough to think that I’ve made a dent in the universal acceptance of evolution.
Essentially, we can overcome the world at only one spot: right here in our own hearts. “Oh be careful little eyes what you see… Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.” Cain said to his brother, “Let’s offer an easier kind of sacrifice,” and Abel said, “NO, sir.” The world said, “Noah, thou hast much goods laid up for years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.” Noah covered his ears and closed his eyes, and was victorious over the world at that point. But perhaps we should also remember that when Satan whispered, “take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake,” Noah got thoroughly drunk. One victory over the world’s inroads today, doesn’t mean that we’ll be victorious tomorrow. The world tells us there is nothing wrong with a little cannabis, a sip of beer and a bit of chewing tobacco. Perhaps it is easy for the Christian to see that danger and to recognize the siren call. But Satan, who is extremely smart and well experienced knows how to find our personal weak spot.
Many churches know how to avoid most of the major heresies of the day. But what about the subtle enticements of the world? “Let’s have a Trunk or Treat night to keep the kiddies off the streets on Halloween.” “Let’s cancel the evening service so we can watch the Superbowl. After all, it is only one night a year.” “How about having a Republican caucus meeting in the church basement?” “For the sake of souls, let’s join the Billy Graham or Franklin Graham city-wide crusade?” “Why don’t we invite the coffee place across the street to set up a table in the church foyer?”
We CAN have victory over the world when it tries to enter our church or tries to enter our bodies. We CAN have victory. We NEED to have victory. “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” John may only be describing victory over the world, but elsewhere we have exhortations and commands.
What is the victory that overcometh the world? Even our FAITH.
I have heard that several of you have tried to wrestle Brother Mathias the wrestling coach. You cushioned the challenge by doing it in water. How did that turn out? Have any of you been victorious over Mathias? Being unsuccessful against Mathias, do you really think you could defeat another wrestler six inches taller and fifty pounds heavier? “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” No offense Mathias, but our spiritual battles are against the world and the devil, who make Mathias look small. And yet, we are expected to overcome them.
How can we do that? “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our FAITH.” But even in this statement people get confused. It is cliche to say to someone who is struggling, “Hey bro, keep the faith.” Hey, bro, it is not faith that overcomes, just as it isn’t faith that saves. Faith is only the rope which ties us to the One who can overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.
Going back to Hebrews 11: Verse 5: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Enoch had tied himself the Lord by faith and was victorious over the world and over death. Noah condemned the world; he was victorious over the world, because he was an heir of the righteousness which is of faith in God. Abraham overcame the world in Ur of the Chaldees, because he was bound to the Lord by faith.
Verse 32: “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought 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, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
Made perfect? Made perfect? What does that mean? It means that those people were overcomers, just as we are meant to be. And how did they overcome? By their faith in the omnipotent God. “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
So, while you are strengthening your theology… While you are reading your Bible and memorizing scriptures… While you are building that love-bond you ought to have with your brethren… While you are working out and strengthening your physical body for a long and useful life… Make sure you are strengthening your faith and your relationship with the Lord. Because it is there that we actually become overcomers.