Being More than a Victor

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:35-37)

Paul is writing to the Romans about the reality of trials and distress in a Christian's life. In verses 38 and 39, he correctly points out that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and in this we can take great comfort. We all go through valleys and trials -- the book of James tells us to expect it. It was the word "conquer" that caught my eye in this passage. The dictionary defines "victory" as "the overcoming of an enemy or opponent," and "conquest" as "the subjugation of a defeated opponent." The difference is subtle, but quite distinct. In the context of war, to conquer an enemy means to assume complete and total control, often taking possession of its food, supplies, riches, etc. leaving no hope and no means for rally or retaliation.

Seeing this distinction, I began to consider how I react to my trials. More often than I care to admit, I usually come limping or crawling off the battlefield of a trial feeling blessed to have survived it and perhaps enlightened in the particular lesson that the Lord wanted me to learn from it. I have been content with this result, thinking of it as a victory, and eager to move on with life. What I have found lately though, is that the next trial I encounter has similarities to the previous one, and this has confused me. I pray, "Lord, I thought I understood the lesson. What did I miss? What did you want me to see? Why must I go through this again?"

I'm learning that the Lord expects more than a victory. He wants His children to conquer their trials. As we go through a trial, we often miss the riches that are right there for the taking. Do we take the time to ponder His immeasurable grace and mercy? Do we take the opportunity to deepen and intensify our prayer life? Does our desire to praise and worship Him intensify as the battle rages around us? Rather than simply surviving the trial, we need to not only learn the lesson, but master it. James 1:3-4 says that "the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." God uses trials to strengthen us and equip us for His service in life, or perhaps the next trial. If we don't conquer the first trial, we either continue on in life, or enter the next battle ill-equipped and/or unprepared.

We must remember that He does not give us more than we can handle, and He never pitches us out on the battlefield and says, "See you on the other side." Look again at Romans 8:37 -- it says that we "overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." He does not expect us to conquer our battles on our own. He is our Shepherd, and leads us through each and every valley. We only need to call on Him for strength and wisdom. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." When we learn to conquer our trials through Him, our faith will be strengthened, and we will be more effective in accomplishing His goals for our lives and for His kingdom.