I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.” (Psalm 16:2)

When I’m in a trial, and the enemy is trying to beat me down, I rise up and fight. Faith in the person of God and His Word encourages me during those difficult times. I love how Romans 8:37 says “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” There’s a list of all these things in verse 35: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. These things cover every possible problem anyone might send my way. If you are like me, you may wonder how we can possibly come away with more than the victory from our battles. God tells us our battles are spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This can feel intimidating at the least and result in paralyzing fear if we imagine we only narrowly escape. But, as we conquer, we’re promised we will come away with something more than the immediate victory. In fact, we gain riches so great we cannot even measure their weight. 

God’s Love Guarantees More

Nothing can move us away from the love of Christ and all His present and eternal benefits. Christ initiates His love for us and no shortcomings on our part can reverse His work. Because Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us when we were sinners without hope, we belong to Him no matter our weaknesses or failed efforts now. We can see His expression of love through His death and resurrection and we can see the immediate blessings of His work: His love is the power that brings us into His family; His love is unaffected by worldly problems; His love is eternal and it’s based on His unchanging nature; His love is a secure place for us where He is committed to our well-being at all times. While we work through the trials of life, God promises us there is more than immediate victory. We are more than conquerors. There are at least seven remarkable aspects of God’s loving promise that give us a fresh understanding of what this means.

His Love Stands Firm

No matter how life may seem to pressure us, it’s only as a passing breath of air against the everlasting mountain of God’s love. In each battle we face, we’re held firm by this rock. Our enemies attempt to strip all types of goodness from our lives but God’s love overcomes. The foundation of our joy, rest, and happiness is immovable. God’s love establishes us so, in the end, our enemies retreat, dismayed, because we rest in God’s stronghold and have peace amid their fabricated storm. They will pass on and we will still stand in Christ, secure, with every need met and resting in our present and eternal peace. In each trial, we can join the Apostle Paul and say with all confidence, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:3-6). Jesus’ steadfast love makes us more than conquerors. 

His Love is Ongoing

Also encouraging is the promise of God’s acts of love which endure through all hardship, tying us to the everlasting fountain of His loving and powerful blessings. Psalm 73:26 says our flesh, courage, and determination might be weakened but our Almighty God is an immovable rock wall, steadfastly supporting and defending His people. He’s the strength of our hearts. He’s our immovable place of belonging. He’s the one source of eternal feasting for our emotions, our mind, and our spirit. And these benefits all started the moment of our salvation. On our behalf, He’s always conquering this world’s momentary attacks, its godless people, and its evil spirits. None of their shifting efforts form any comparison to His steady comforts to His children. Those comforts include His peace, which passes all understanding, as well as all truth, present joy, and joy eternal. Our communion with Jesus gives us everything pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy. Everything of value belongs to us in the love of Christ even now. In fact, if the world did not first have God’s love, it would have nothing desirable at all. 

Our Trials, Our Servants 

Difficult circumstances are situations we generally avoid, but there is good that comes to God’s people in each one.  Unfortunately, our pain during trials can create a fog that clouds our awareness of the good work God is doing. In times of distress, we desperately want to get out of the problem and the enemy wants us to believe that God somehow left us alone to figure everything out. However, we’re never alone in tough times. Our loving and merciful God, Who is our Advocate, works behind every scene, bringing everlasting victory to us. Paul says we win our battles and gain even more because God causes all things to work for good to those of who love Him (Rom. 8:28). Think of God inserting His power into the details of our suffering and manipulating all aspects to benefit us. Rather than threats, our trials become our servants. And the good they bring isn’t something far away, only saved for eternity. In each trial, we gain wisdom, spiritual blessings, and everlasting spiritual strength for the battles of tomorrow. We always stand – more than barely winners but come through each trial as more than conquerors. By God’s faithfulness, our trials serve us and leave our enemies buried in the dust! 

Elevated to New Heights

At the onset of our trials, this beneficial process begins. First, our trials drive us to draw near to God. This is a victory in itself. Anything that drives us to nearness with God is an everlasting victory. Scripture reminds us of God’s immediate response to our action: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). In God’s nearness, we receive incredible benefits. Immediately, His immeasurable storehouses of grace provide for us. Paul included an explanation in his prayer: “according to the riches of his glory he [will] grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:16-19). This short passage lists several gifts: He gives to us in a measure that matches His abounding riches; the Holy Spirit of God personally strengthens us here and now; Christ lives in us; we can know by heart and experience the full expanse of Christ’s love; and the eternal fullness of God fills us to overflowing! These immense blessings lift us so high above our enemies that we live in a completely different realm. Our status is: much more than conquerors.

Held Closer Than Ever

 Second, when we face trials, the love of God grips us tighter than ever. Second Chronicles 16:9 introduces the idea this way: “[T]he eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” Here we see God coming to us with intentional, powerful support. Holding us firmly, He cherishes and cares for us, bringing us to a protected and exalted position where we enjoy His precious love more than anything in our understanding. We see how God extends Himself to us in other verses as well. “Steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD” (Ps. 32:10). “Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him” (Ps. 85:9). “Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me” (Ps. 118:5-7). Each of these verses helps us see how intentionally God acts toward us in times of trial. With His loving salvation, His answers of freedom, His protection from fear and the assurance of His help, we grow in our confidence toward God rather than being beaten down by our enemies. We are held secure and gain what can never be removed while our enemies fall away empty-handed.

Companionship with Christ

Third, we have a beautiful union with Christ. In trials, Christ proves His love for us. Each time, we receive His gifts in deeper measure and we grow in our appreciation for His compassionate love and encouragement and this builds our faith – a flourishing relationship. Scripture reminds us that He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24) and He has called us friends, choosing us and appointing us to bear fruit which remains (John 15:15-16). What an advantage indeed. Even more, with Christ as our companion, we enjoy our security in Him, because we find we cannot be moved by adversaries. And, because of our alliance, we experience His presence, listening ear, comforting words, strong arms of protection, and His easy, familiar presence, each of which soothes our souls. This companionship is the truest sense of comfort, exalted above all possible interference. 

Supplied by the Source of All Life

Finally, we leverage one more gain: We take hold of the hand of the Living God. Throughout all trials, we’re held by and hold onto the Living God, Almighty, all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing, holy, loving, and just. He gives us ongoing life – His life flowing through us. He renews our souls. Scripture says, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything since he generously gives to all mankind life and breath and everything (Acts 17:24-25). Our Lord Jesus confirms His life-giving strength when he says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We experience life-giving strength, exhilarating fulfillment, and perpetual hope because of these truths. In Christ, we overflow with energy and renewal while our enemies fade away in death without hope of restoration.

Our Final Stance

In any conflict, those who have been in battle come away with scars and fatigue – conquerors included. All battle is hard work. We fight for long hours and we don’t escape the mental and physical impact. We come home needing rest. But, as more than conquerors through Christ, we recover and then come through our trials with greater blessings than our adversaries can ever imagine we might gain. No matter the trial, our gains last forever, stacked up as ever-paying dividends. They will profit us in coming trials and form ever-higher foundations for us to stand upon. We are, therefore, more than conquerors.