#19 Become More Than a Conquerer in Christ
Time Stamps
00:00 - Welcome from Dan and Will
04:05 - Talk: Become More Than a Conqueror in Christ with Matt Edmundson
07:32 - The Surprising Truth About Being a Conqueror
13:45 - How God Turns Trials into Triumph
19:13 - Winning God's Way: The David and Saul Story
31:33 - Conversation Street: A Different Set of Tools
38:12 - Practical Ways to Live as an Overcomer
Swimming Through the Fog
Ever feel like you're swimming through dense fog, unable to see the shore? You're pushing forward, but without any visible progress, your morale is sinking fast.
This Sunday, continuing our "Becoming Whole" series on identity, Matt Edmundson introduced us to Florence Chadwick – a woman who attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coastline in the 1950s. Despite being an accomplished swimmer with her supportive mum in a boat beside her, Chadwick eventually gave up due to thick fog obscuring her view of the shoreline.
What she didn't know was that she was less than a mile from completing her 20-mile swim.
Two months later, Chadwick tried again with a different approach. This time, she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind, focusing on it whenever the fog rolled in. Not only did she complete the swim, but she also smashed the previous record by two hours.
As Matt explained, "She thought differently and as a result, she conquered."
More Than Conquerors: What It Really Means
The heart of Matt's message came from Romans 8:37, where Paul writes: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
But what does it actually mean to be "more than a conqueror"? Matt clarified a common misconception – it's not about having a problem-free life. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
"By definition, to conquer something, you must have something to conquer," Matt explained. The verses leading up to this declaration list potential hardships: trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword. These are the very challenges through which we become "more than conquerors."
The Greek term Paul uses implies not just victory, but overwhelming, decisive triumph. It's not merely crossing the finish line – it's shattering the record in the process.
During Conversation Street, Will pointed out how this concept of conquest has sometimes been misused by Christians throughout history: "The whole idea of conquest and conquerors... quite militant... but God's way is a different way." This led to a rich discussion about how Jesus's way of winning often looks radically different from our cultural understanding of victory.
When Winning Looks Like Losing
One of the most powerful aspects of Matt's talk was his exploration of how being "more than a conqueror" often means winning in ways that don't look like winning by the world's standards.
He shared the heartbreaking story of Mick and Lin Connelly (brother of Dave Connelly who frequently speaks at Crowd) whose son was murdered in a case of mistaken identity. How could anyone possibly be "more than a conqueror" in such a devastating situation?
"Mick and Lin came to a place of forgiveness," Matt shared. "It didn't change what happened to their son, but in the midst of tragedy, they did something that only Jesus could do – they forgave."
He also referenced Esther Stamp's story from the "What's the Story" podcast, whose husband was falsely accused of sexual assault. Despite two years of turmoil before his innocence was proven, they found "abiding joy" and now support others going through similar ordeals.
These examples illustrate a profound truth: conquering God's way often means finding supernatural peace, joy, and forgiveness in circumstances where it shouldn't be possible.
David's Unconventional Victory
To further illustrate what it means to win God's way, Matt recounted the story of David and King Saul from 1 Samuel. David, pursued by Saul who wanted him dead, had a perfect opportunity to kill the king while he slept.
From a human perspective, killing Saul would have been the logical move – it would have ended David's suffering and secured his place as king. But God had a different strategy.
Instead of killing Saul, David took the king's spear and water jug as proof that he could have taken Saul's life but chose not to. When Saul realised what happened, he responded with repentance: "I have sinned. Come back, my son David. I won't hurt you anymore... I've acted the fool."
As Matt pointed out, "David was more than a conqueror that day. He won that day in the way that Jesus would win, and the outcome was oh so much better."
During Conversation Street, Will highlighted how David already knew he would eventually become king through God's promise, yet still refused to take a shortcut: "He properly honored Saul... He respected the office of king and God's anointing for Saul as king."
Dan added, "Without forgiveness, the battle can be lost... Through forgiveness, that was the thing that won, that was the more than conqueror."
Living as More Than Conquerors
So how do we apply this powerful identity as "more than conquerors" to our everyday lives? Matt offered several practical insights:
Stop interpreting spiritual truths by your lived experience. When we let our feelings and experiences dictate our theology, we create a shaky foundation. If what Paul wrote is true, it remains true regardless of our circumstances.
Fix your eyes on the unseen. Just as Chadwick focused on the mental image of the shoreline, we need to focus on God's promises even when we can't see evidence of them. As 2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us: "We don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen."
Meditate on God's truth. Matt challenged us to write Romans 8:37 on a Post-it note and place it on our bathroom mirror, saying it aloud regularly: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Respond with the opposite spirit. During Conversation Street, Will emphasized this transformative approach: "When someone comes against you... full of rage... that's an invitation to fight back... God calls us to come in an opposite spirit." Responding with peace to anger or love to hatred "completely disarms."
As Dan observed, "The situation hasn't changed... but it's our focus on God, it's putting more on him, taking things on ourselves... it becomes the way we do it."
The Unseen Shoreline
One question emerged throughout the discussion: What's your fog, and what's your shoreline?
Perhaps you're facing workplace stress, relationship breakdown, health challenges, or financial pressure. The fog is thick, and you can't see the end in sight. But as a child of God, your identity as "more than a conqueror" doesn't depend on your circumstances changing.
Will summed it up beautifully: "This is coming in a different way, using some different tools... God can give you peace that doesn't make sense."
Whatever you're swimming through today, remember that your victory isn't found in your own strength but in Him who loved you. You may be closer to the shoreline than you realise.
Join us next Sunday as Dave Connelly continues our "Becoming Whole" series with "Abundant Life in a Broken World."
"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)
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