Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof;
the world,
and they that dwell therein.
The earth (Hebrew ‘erets) is the ‘dry land’ of creation when God gathered together
the waters after establishing a firmament, or atmosphere above the waters. This earth
is most important for mankind as God’s Providence for all creation that ‘has breath’.
The world (Hebrew tebel) is derived from the word yabal, to bring forth, or flow out.
The world consists of all that man has brought forth from his ‘imagination’, and the
influence of "principalities and powers".
The world is at odds with the Will of God in countless ways, especially in regard to
the impact it has on the earth and its ability to provide for all creation. For the children
of God to understand the need to ‘overcome the world’, they must also understand
the world as the habitation for multitudes of spirits that are contrary to the Spirit of Truth.
Ephesians 6:12 For 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.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
John 14:
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor,
to be with you forever.
17 Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he abides with you,
and will be in you.
Only by abiding in the promise of the Father can a child of God hope to
overcome the world. In the book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, Jesus
delivers seven messages to seven elect churches in Asia Minor. Each of
these messages concludes with promises from the Holy Spirit for those
who hear in the churches, and overcome the world.
This must be emphasized!
The promises are not given to those who simply believe, but are
for those who overcome the world!
Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of
the Paradise of God.
Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God
and he shall be My son.
1 John 5:1-5 The Message
Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-born.
If we love the One who conceives the child, we’ll surely love the child who
was conceived. The reality test on whether or not we love God’s children is this:
Do we love God? Do we keep his commands? The proof that we love God comes
when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome. Every
God-born person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings
the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways
is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 4: NKJV
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in
you is greater than he who is in the world.
5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak
as of the world, and the world hears.
6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear.
By this we know the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.