“Overcomers of the World"
John 16:16-33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33]
Overcoming the world is the emphasis at the end of the Upper Room Discourse. John 16 is our Lord’s teaching on the matter; John 17 is His prayer. It is the fundamental challenge for the child of God because in this world you will have tribulation. Notice the certainty, “will have.” It is not a question of if, but when and how much.
The word “tribulation” is thlipsis in the Greek. It means, to apply pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, adversity, and affliction. Imagine placing your hand on a stack of loose items and manually compressing them. That is thlipsis, putting pressure on that which is free and unfettered. The word is used for crushing grapes or olives in a press.
And who is behind the crushing? “The god of this age” [2 Corinthians 4:4], “the ruler of this world” [John 14:20], “the prince of the power of the air” [Ephesians 2:2]. It is, without a doubt, Satan.
His bait is temptation, and his goal is to lure you away from God and turn you toward his world system. That is why our Lord calls us and prays for us to be set apart from the world.
“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously.” [James 4:4-5].
“And do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” [Romans 12:2].
The remedy is the Holy Spirit within. “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.” [1 John 4:4]. The promise of the Holy Spirit is for believer in Christ.
Jesus prayed to the Father: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” [John 17:15-17].
Wiersbe called this prayer the “Prayer of the Overcomer” and the “holy of holies of the Gospel record.” And that it is, which we will cover next week.
Our passage this morning underscores the goal of that prayer, which is to be overcomers of the world.
