What does it mean that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)?

Indeed “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” This is proper Christian character: victory is a fully assured thing. Christ has loved us: how then could it be otherwise? “More than conquerors” is a blessed word: it is not merely triumphing over opposition: it is the soul lifted far above it all into God's own presence of infinite and eternal bliss — “through Him that loved us.”

Is it any wonder then that Paul does not hesitate to record the deep persuasion of his soul concerning the blessed, sure portion of the beloved people of God? “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creation, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus ourLord.” Death is mentioned first — that which is man's greatest fear and dread. But its sting is gone for the believer (1 Cor. 15:54-57). But what of life with all its vicissitudes, trials and adversity? It is but a brief transitory thing, a little thing compared to His greatness. Or all those things positionally above us — angels, principalities, powers? God is greater than they: and He is for us. And things — whether present barriers that appear insurmountable, or future possibilities, or that which is higher than our understanding, or low mysterious depths of evil that chill men's souls? Again, the ringing answer is simply “God for us.” None of these, “nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). What does it mean to be “more than conquerors”? I quote from the writings of another: “It may be that we do not 'conquer' at all, but we do MORE: we wrest from defeat values that could never be gained by conquest: Enduring tribulation, we gain Hope which is not put to shame, Bearing persecution, we are demonstrating the meaning of true godliness. Suffering hunger, we are proving that man does not live by bread alone, but this is only possible through Him that loved us — through His grace.”

The phrase "more than conquerors" used by the apostle Paul with such supreme confidence is but one word in the Greek, and is used only in this verse. The word conqueror is the word translated in other places as "overcomer," or more literally "to gain the victory." But what does the apostle mean by "more than conquerors"? Not only do the saints pass through these various conflicts, whether caused by men or demons, and emerge victoriously, but they are also stronger after the conflict than they were before entering into it. Time after time God allows His people to be in conflict only to cause them to feel their need of His grace and power in going through it, and with the help of God they emerge from the trial stronger than they were before they entered into it. We add, going through it with the help of God, for we shall never be victorious without the help which God alone can give. History records many severe trials through which men have passed, and who by supreme efforts have emerged victorious, but it does not record that they were stronger after the conflict than they were before. Only in the spiritual realm can this be experienced. In demonstration of this we have in mind to call the attention of the reader to two passages in Scripture, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament where this encouraging fact is recorded. We hope thereby to encourage all to stand fast in the conflict, and hence not only to emerge victorious, but to have gained more strength as the result of the trial we have sustained. There are two statements in the New Testament which ought to be ever in the hearts of those who desire to be characterized as "overcomers." They are "stand fast" (2 Thess. 2:15), and "hold fast" (2 Tim. 1:13). If we "stand fast" we do not give way, and if we "hold fast" we do not give anything up.

Nor can the sufferings of this present time rob us of the blessedness of our present portion as we abide in this. When Paul found himself in tribulation, distress, persecution and other trials, he asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” and the answer shows that He knew not only could nothing sever us from it, but that “in these things” we are victorious, yea, and more than that, for it says, In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37). Yes, having joy and satisfaction amidst the sufferings we are more than conquerors “in” them all, not by being taken out of them.

\There have been many conquerors in the world's history; Alexander, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, for instance, were conquerors; they might even be called great conquerors, but not "more than conquerors." This is language that we could not find in mere human literature. How could any man be more than a conqueror? People might say, there's no sense in such a phrase it is a mere hyperbole. Yet here it is in God's Word, and there's no exaggeration in that Book of truth. Let us see where it occurs and seek to learn what it means. "As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Rom. 8:36-37).

The conquerors whose names stand high in the world's temple of fame gained their great place by killing; they strode through seas of blood to the goal of their ambition. God's children become more than conquerors by being killed and killed all the day long. "We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." The time was in the history of the church when the Christians seemed only to exist to be slaughtered. Those who slew them did so for their own pleasure — "to make a holiday for Romans," or to stamp out of the world a hated Name — for it was for Jesus' Name's sake that these suffered — but they did not know that they were crowning their victims with crowns imperishable, and that these unresisting martyrs were more than conquerors. But so it was.

As we tread this path we are more than conquerors through Him. "What is it to be more than a conqueror?" was the question asked. "To kill six men and be ready to kill a seventh," was the reply given. But, was this the right answer? Ah, no! but exactly the reverse. It is to be killed six times ourselves and be ready then to be killed again. "For Thy sake we are killed [not killing] all the day long" (Rom. 8:36). When we are thus prepared to sacrifice ourselves for His sake, we have the victory, and God is glorified in us.

But see what precedes and follows the verse quoted, and you will then understand the secret of this victory, and see how it is possible for us, who are by nature always self-centred, to rejoice in suffering. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or sword?" (v. 35). None of these physical sufferings can separate us from His love, though oft-times our souls may lose the sense of it. Then we get downcast and prone to murmur in the midst of trial: and thus Satan gains an advantage. But, if our hearts are right, and we are dependent upon the Lord, our great Intercessor, the tribulation does but drive us closer to Him, and we are thus made to prove afresh the blessedness of that love which is greater than the greatest trial. Then can we glory in tribulation: then do the dews of sorrow shine like to precious gems, and we are content and happy with God's way for us, and are true overcomers. Then follows the blessed conclusion: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (vv. 38-39). If the first list are physical trials in which we need the love of Christ as our support, here are spiritual foes, and against these God Himself is opposed. They cannot separate us from His love, for His love is greater and mightier than them all. All the power of these spiritual things was marshalled to separate us from the love of God and to hold us in bondage, but the cross of Christ destroyed their dominion, and through His precious death, the love of God has secured us in spite of them all, and since this is a glorious fact we need not fear. Oh, may the light of this matchless love so fill and move our hearts that we may be always ready to be killed all the day long for Jesus' sake, and so be more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

If the devil attacks the saints of God, he gets the worst of it. He is already a defeated foe; he knows that he has met his match and Master. The devil's Master, who is your Saviour and Lord, ever lives for you. If the devil desires to have you that he may sift you, your Intercessor has prayed for you, and through Him you may be more than a conqueror. That is a great word. It belongs to the Divine Scriptures, and would have no meaning in mere human literature. There have been conquerors in the world's history; some of them have been great conquerors, such as Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, but they were not more than conquerors. What then is it to be more than a conqueror? To be buffeted and yet sing praises, to go through the storm and yet rejoice in the Lord; to have escaped the blinding, resisted the beguiling, and rejoiced in the buffeting of Satan: that is what it is to be more than a conqueror, and that you may be through Him that loves you.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”. “Tribulation will work patience, and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:3). So that instead of these difficulties, through which we have to pass, coming in between us and the love of Christ, they are, through His love, very profitable to us, because they help to break the cords that bind us to flesh and blood, and His great love draws us to His side, where there is fullness of joy, and pleasures for evermore.

Yes, there may be, and there will be if we keep in mind the words "for His Name's sake." What would not those who know His love, and what His love has made Him do for them, do and suffer for His Name's sake, for the sake of the Name of Jesus! Well, they must begin by denying self, by setting self aside, by sacrificing self, but since this is for His Name's sake it should not be hard to do. To suffer reproach, to be misunderstood, to be thrust aside, not to be wanted — in all these things we may be more than conquerors, if it is all for Christ's sake, and in these things He left us an example that we should walk in His steps. His love is the great compensation, and from His love no suffering can separate. Nay: suffering gives Him the opportunity for making His love a living, bright reality. So must His martyred saints have found it when they rejoiced to suffer affliction for His Name's sake, and so may we find it today.

Once more the challenge goes out: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Every enemy that might be thought likely to do so is named—tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword—and in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. These are the enemies that are found in the wilderness; they are not the inhabitants of the land of promise, not the wicked spirits in the heavenly places. But these things cannot separate us from the love of Christ, though they may separate us from our best friends upon earth. But the truth is, it is for His sake that all these things come upon us. But He holds up His hands in intercession for us; they never grow weary. And His eye sees all the difficulties of the way, and He knows all our sorrows, and He sympathises with us and ministers to us all the grace and strength that we need. We are more than conquerors, for tribulation will work patience, and we greatly profit by all our exercises.

Now the apostle says, "I am persuaded." He does not say the Romans were persuaded. It is our privilege to be persuaded as He was, but he does not say we are. He singles himself out three times in this epistle in this way, once in the second verse, where he says that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the law of sin and death. This is so experimental that every one must speak for himself. Then again in verse 18 he says, "1 reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory "that shall be revealed in us." It is not every believer who reckons in this way. We surely ought to reckon as he did. And now again for the third time he has to say something of the way in which he views things, and he is persuaded that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He was personally persuaded, but he was as fully persuaded about the Romans as about himself. Death, life, angels, principalities, powers, are more spiritual foes and more terrible to meet than those in verse 35; but they cannot separate us from the love of God. Death cannot separate us from the love of God, it is in death the love of God has been expressed to us; it is the witness of the love of God to us. Life cannot separate us from it, for the love of God is the life in which we live and shall live for ever. Angels cannot separate us, for they are appointed in the love of God to minister to us in our journey through an evil world. And they are greatly interested in the grace that has come to us in Christ. And as to evil angels they are powerless to hurt us. Neither can height nor depth rob us of that love. It has been expressed in Christ, and it has found its resting-place in Him, and God has brought us to Himself in the One in whom it rests, and therefore we are persuaded there can be no separation from it. If there is no separation from the love of God for Christ, there is none for us, for it is in Him that that love is ours.