We shall overcome became an anthem for the civil rights movement in the 1960s and was sung by a number of musicians, including Joan Baez. It was a song of protest rooted within the black community and likely originated from a song written by a black Methodist minister, Charles Albert Tindley, I’ll Overcome Some Day.
Tindley was known as “The Prince of Preachers” by his peers and became the pastor to the church that he had once worked for as a janitor. That church, under his leadership, became one of the largest multiracial congregations on the east coast, having over 10,000+ members. Later, under his leadership, the church formed its own bank, the East Calvary Building and Loan Association, offering home loan mortgages to the community and the church was widely known for its care for the poor.
Tindley’s spiritual became an anthem to the nation and his contribution to the black community is a shining example to us today. Tindley overcame by faith, perseverance, and hard work; he contributed to American society and touched the lives of numerous individuals suffering significant hardship, as he had. He did indeed overcome, as he wrote in one of his many hymns, I’ll Overcome Some Day, which later became We Shall Overcome. True to life, he did. We can too!
Jesus, in Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21, makes numerous promises to those churches and believers who do overcome. God calls us to overcome, as those who have gone before us overcome. Like Tindley, a shining example to the black community, we can raise the anthem, We Shall Overcome, not in protest only, but in defiance to the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Yes, the Church is called to be and is built by believers who overcome. That’s why it’s essential that we, as believers, cultivate the heart of the overcomer. That’s what I’d like to talk about in this post.
How do we become overcomers? The Apostle John, the man the Church legend says they tried to boil in oil, says this about being an overcomer: “everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4, NIV. Let that sink in. If you are a believer, it’s a given that you will overcome the world. How? By faith in God. The faith we have isn’t an empty faith, it’s not a passive faith; No, it’s an active, life-giving faith, a faith that literally overcomes the world. At least that’s what the man said that the world tried to boil in oil, but couldn’t. Though on the island of Patmos, he overcame. How? By faith through the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
If you’re struggling today with your faith in God, you need a greater revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus was and is the ultimate overcomer. How do I know? He defeated death, hell, and the grave. His tomb is empty. He’s alive. As we approach this Resurrection season, let us think about the man who overcame death once and for all. How did Jesus overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil? By His faith in God. Though He is the Son of God, He’s also the Son of Man. That dichotomy, an enigma, is something almost beyond human understanding. We see the Son of God part of Jesus, but we rarely look at the Son of Man part of Jesus.
Jesus, as a man, overcame the world, the flesh, and the Devil. He never bit into the forbidden fruit of sin. He remained sinless. He overcame. And he defeated Satan. How? By faith in His Father. He trusted His Father, even when what took place in His life was hard. He walked through betrayal. Yes, He was abandoned in His hour of need by those closest to Him. He suffered the humiliation of the cross. To the outside observer, it appeared as if He lost everything, including His life. But when He appeared to be at His lowest, that’s when He won the ultimate victory over all hell could throw at Him. And He came out smelling like a rose, the Rose of Sharon. That’s what faith can do.
Yes, Jesus is our example. As a man, He defeated all this world could throw at Him. Everything Satan meant for evil, God turned for good. Jesus’s trust in the Father sustained Him. And, if we cultivate that same heart of faith in the Father, it will sustain us too. Faith always overcomes the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Satan doesn’t know how to handle a person who believes God. None of his weapons work against that person. His arrows of temptation, accusation, and deception fall to the side and fail against a person of faith.
Name one person in the Bible who trusted God and God let him or her down. I’ve searched the Bible. I have yet to find one. Rather, quite the opposite, happens, God has great faith in us, but we let Him down through our disobedience. We choose the wrong path, blame Him or others, and then choose sin. What does that mean? It demonstrates our own weakness. We must choose to cultivate a heart of faith in God. We must learn to trust Him, even when things in our life don’t make sense. As the Apostle James said, “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters”, James 1:16, NIV, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17.
How do we cultivate a heart of faith? By remembering who our Father is. God is good. All the time. It’s His goodness and mercy that will sustain us. That means, when something bad or evil happens, we must learn to identify the real source of that bad or evil thing — the Devil. Every good and perfect gift is from God…always. If it’s evil, it’s not of God. Don’t be deceived! That’s how we lose faith and trust in God: by misidentifying the source of bad and evil things in our lives. Acts of God are good not bad or evil. That misnomer has caused many a heartache. If we believe God is behind the evil in our lives, it will be hard to trust Him. If we recognize His goodness, then we can trust Him.
That was Jesus’s secret. He knew the Father. We can know the Father, as the Son knew the Father. Jesus said, “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” John 20:17, God’s Word Translation. That’s who God is — our Father. He’s our God. Not a god like the fickle pagan gods made up in the minds of men. No! The eternal God who is always seeking our best. Why? He loves us. Yes, you read that right. God loves you. That’s why you can trust Him. Believe that! It’s true! Only believe!
Yes, you can trust Him. Why don’t you start today. Just say, Father, I choose to trust you, believe you, and have faith in you. Then, you will see the trustworthiness of God. Like I said, He’s never let anyone down. And He won’t start with you. He will prove Himself faithful to you, as you choose to have faith in Him. Start cultivating a heart of faith today. It will change your life forever.
Let us pray!
— Scott Wallis
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