Conquered, or Conqueror?
Pastor Rod Thompson
Midland SDA Church
July 14, 2018
He was personally tutored by Aristotle for three years starting at age 13 . At age 16 his father placed him in charge of the kingdom while he went off to war with his army. But while his father and the army were gone there was a rebellion in the kingdom which posed a danger to the country.
So this young leader organized an army, led it against the rebels and swiftly defeated them and recaptured their stronghold. He succeeded his father to the throne at age 20. He would become known as the King of Macedonia, Pharaoh of Egypt, King of Persia, and King of Asia - simultaneously.
He founded 70 cities, naming 20 of them after himself and one after his horse.
He washed his hair in saffron (a spice that is often used for seasoning or as a coloring agent) to keep it shiny and orange
This world ruler had heterochromia iridium – which means one of his eyes was blue and the other was brown.
In 15 years of conquest Alexander III of Macedonia (known in history as Alexander the Great) never lost a battle.
He is known in History as one of the greatest military geniuses of all time.
The soldiers of Alexander were reckoned invincible. Why? Was it because they were naturally stronger and more courageous than all their enemies? No, but because they were led by Alexander. Their strength was in his leadership. Under another leader they would have often been defeated
His men trusted in his leadership and they followed him even in the face of overwhelming odds. In 333 BC his 30,000 soldiers encountered the Persian forces in a mountain pass at Issus in northwest Syria commanded by King Darius III . Though greatly outnumbered by more than 3 to 1 the battle ended in victory for Alexander
In 1864 Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley formed a natural corridor for the union and confederate armies in the civil war. The geography of the Shenandoah Valley was a military mirror: the advantages it gave to one side were reflected in the advantages it offered to the other. As the western flank of Union operations in central Virginia, the Shenandoah provided the Union high command with a potential back-door route into Richmond Virginia, the Confederate capital, while it circumvented the obstacles that were Virginia's eastern rivers. Further, to hold the valley was to bottle up and contain the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. It could also be used as a staging area into Unionist east Tennessee, always a priority for Lincoln.)
Those advantages were equal and opposite for the Confederate army. Because the Valley's direction is generally southwest to northeast, it pointed dagger-like at the North and especially at Washington, D.C., only sixty miles from Harpers Ferry. For the Confederates, to control it was to control a pressure point, a natural and physically protected invasion route northward into Washington DC.
So General Lee, from the south, sent Lieutenant General Jubal Early and his army on a campaign, through the Shenandoah Valley – with the option of a possible raid on Washington DC. Early’s campaign was very successful, at first, he marched northward through the Shenandoah Valley, defeated the Union forces at the Battle of Monocacy, in Frederick Maryland, and reached the outskirts of Washington in Mid-July.
Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the Union army responded by sending the 6th corps from Petersburg to the capital just in time to thwart Early’s attack on the city. Confronted by superior forces and Washington’s extensive fortifications, Early retreated back into the safety of the Shenandoah valley.
Grant then Sent Philip Sheridan, the commander of a new army of the Shenandoah to render the valley useless to the confederates. At Winchester, Early’s army consisted of 4 infantry divisions and 2 cavalry divisions for a total of 14,000 soldiers. Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah was much larger with 3 infantry corps and 3 powerful cavalry divisions for a total of 39,000 officers and men.
Being outnumbered by almost 3 to 1 you would think that Early would have retreated out of the valley, but instead he went on the offensive. The battle of Winchester in 1864 was the bloodiest battle ever fought in the Shenandoah Valley and the surprising part was that Early’s men almost won the battle. They had Sheridan and his army on the run.
When the Union army was fleeing- panic stricken before the enemy at Winchester, Sheridan stepped in and rallied the troops turning their defeat into victory. Without him the men were a quaking mob. With him at their head they were an invincible army.
If you could hear the remarks of the soldiers who served under Alexander the Great, Sheridan, and similar leaders, you would have heard the praises of their general mingled with all their rejoicing. They were strong because he was; they were inspired by the same spirit that he had.
By now you may be asking yourself, why are you telling us all of this Pastor Rod? Well, I’ll get to that.
Read Habakkuk 2: 2-4
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans summed up the gospel when he quoted Habakkuk in Romans 1
Romans 1: 16-17 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, but only to those who believe. In it the righteousness of God is revealed
The righteousness of God is the perfect law of God, which is a transcript of His own righteous character and will.
That means that unrighteousness, is sin or transgression of the law.
The gospel, then, is God’s remedy for sin; because the work of the gospel is to bring man into harmony with the law and to cause the workings of the righteous law to be manifested in our lives. But this is wholly a work of faith.
The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith – there is faith at the beginning and faith at the end – So Habakkuk and Paul both say, “The just shall live by faith.”
This is true in all ages since the fall of man and will be true until the Lord Himself returns with the voice of the arch angel and the trumpet of God.
Here in Romans 4 he cites the faith of Abraham and David. In Hebrews 11 he goes right back to the beginning to cite an instance of saving faith.
Read Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
He says of Noah
Read Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house-hold, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Their faith was in Christ, as they looked forward with expectation, because it was faith unto salvation, knowing that there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, (Acts 4:12).
Brothers and sisters, there are far too many who try to live the Christian life on the strength of faith which they exercised when they realized their need for pardon for their sins. They know that God alone can pardon sins and that He does this through Christ, but they imagine that having once been started they must run the race in their own strength.
We know that many have this idea, first, because we have heard some say so, and second, because there are such a multitude of professed Christians who show the working of no greater power than their own.
But the Apostle carries this matter of faith clear through to the glorious kingdom of God in a very forcible illustration
Read Hebrews 11:5-6
Notice the argument that Paul uses to prove that Enoch was translated by faith: Enoch was translated because he walked with God, and had the testimony that he pleased God; but without faith it is impossible to please God. That is enough to prove the point.
Without faith not an act can be performed that will meet the approval of God. Without faith the best deeds that a man can do are infinitely short of the perfect righteousness of God, which is the only standard. Wherever real faith is found it is a good thing, but the best faith in God to take away the load of sins will profit a person nothing unless it is carried right through in ever increasing measure until the close of probation (whether it be death or the coming of Jesus).
We have heard many people tell of how hard they found it to right. Their Christian life was unsatisfactory to them, being marked only by failure, they are tempted to give up and are discouraged. No wonder they get discouraged. Continual failure is enough to discourage anyone. The bravest of Alexanders soldiers would become faint hearted if he had been defeated in every battle.
Sometimes these persons will mournfully tell that they have just about lost their confidence in themselves. Poor souls, if they would only lose confidence in themselves entirely and put their whole trust in the one who is mighty to save, they would have a different story to tell. They would then have joy unspeakable through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:4 the apostle says, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.
The man who doesn’t rejoice in God, even though tempted, assaulted, and afflicted, is not fighting the good fight of faith. He is fighting the poor fight of self-confidence and defeat.
If you read Revelation 2 and 3 and the seven letters to the seven churches you will discover that all the promises of God are to those who overcome.
Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Revelation 21: 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
An overcomer is someone who gains victories. The inheriting is not the overcoming; that is the reward of overcoming. The overcoming is now.
The victories to be gained are victories over the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - victories over self and selfish indulgences.
The man who fights and sees the foe give way rejoices. Nobody can keep him from rejoicing. For the joy comes spontaneously as the result of seeing the enemy give way.
Some people look with dread upon the thought of having to wage a continual war with self and worldly lusts. That’s because they do not know yet anything about the joy of victory. They have experienced only defeat. But it is not such a miserable thing to battle constantly, when there is continual victory.
The old veteran of a hundred battles , who has been victorious in every fight, longs to be at the scene of the conflict. Alexander’s soldiers, who under his command never knew defeat, were always impatient to be led into the fray. Each victory increased their strength, which was born only of courage.
Now I ask you, how can we gain continual victories in our spiritual battle? Listen to what the battle worn apostle said in Galatians 2:20. “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
Here is the secret of strength. It is Christ, the Son of God, the one to whom all power in heaven and earth is given. He does the work. If He lives in your heart is it boasting to say that continual victories are possible? Yes, it is boasting; but it is boasting in the Lord.
Galatians 6:14 Paul says, Lord God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world.
The soldiers of Alexander were considered invincible. Why? Because Alexander was their leader.
Well, our captain is the Lord of Hosts. He has met the enemy of all and has vanquished him single handed. Those who follow Him, go forth conquering and to conquer.
Oh that we who profess to be His followers would put our trust in him. Then, by the repeated victories that we would gain, we would show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.
Faith lays hold of the arm of God and His mighty power does the work. How the power of god can work in a man, accomplishing that which he could not possibly do for himself, no one can tell. It would be as easy to tell how God can give life to the dead.
John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone born of the spirit?
How the Spirit works in a man to subdue his passions and to make him victorious over pride, envy, and selfishness is known only to the Spirit. It is sufficient for us to know that it is done and will be done in everyone who wants that work done in him, above all things, and who trusts God for the performance of it.
We cannot tell how Peter was able to walk on what when the waves were rolling about him, but we know at the command of the Lord he did it. So long as he kept his eyes fixed on the master, divine power enabled him to walk as easily as though it were solid rock, underneath, but when he looked at the waves, possibly with a feeling of pride in what he was doing, as though he himself was doing it, fear naturally took possession of him, and he began to sink. Faith enabled him to walk on the waves, fear made him sink beneath it.
Matthew 17:20 If you have faith of 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.
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days
Why was that written?
Romans 15: 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Why was it written? Are you and I going to be called upon to fight armed men or take fortified cities? Probably not
Ephesians 6:12 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 heavenly places.
So the victories which have been gained by faith in God over visible forces in the flesh are placed on record to show us what faith will accomplish in our conflict with the rulers of darkness of this world. The grace of God, in answer to faith, is as powerful in these battles as in those.
Read 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5
It was not physical foes alone that faith enabled the ancient worthies to conquer. We read of them in
Hebrews 11:33-34 By faith , they subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the valance of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,
And most encouraging of all – out of weakness were made strong
Their very weakness became strength to them through faith, because the strength of Christ is made perfect in weakness.
Who then shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? Since it is God who justifies, and we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
Romans 8: 35, 37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
I close this morning by asking you a question. Are you conquered or a conqueror?