My parents recently finished their basement and needed my help going through some of the old books, pictures, and bins that they had packed away down there for years. While rummaging through over a hundred books I ended up finding only one that I wanted to take home. It looked beaten up, old, and had almost brown/orange pages because of the age and being read so many times. What made me pick up the book was two things. One, the author: D.L. Moody. I knew it had to have some gold in it. Secondly, the title was just too intriguing not to pick up: The Overcoming Life.
Let me begin by saying I am very glad I took this book home! The book is only 118 pages and yet each page is packed with wisdom, knowledge, guidance, passion, and life which I can only seem to get from books of old. The book includes D.L. Moody’s thoughts on what the “Overcoming Life” consists of as well as other sermons he preached on including True Repentance, Noah and the Ark, Humility, Rest, and the seven “I Will’s” of Christ.
The Overcoming Life
To Moody, the idea of the overcoming life came from the first epistle of John:
“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
1 John 5:4
The overcoming life consists of a life of faith. But the object of our faith is of the upmost importance. So he continues:
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
1 John 4:4
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Faith in His victory. That is the “overcoming life”. Day by day resting, abiding, surrendering, and obeying Christ is what makes up a life that overcomes evil. Jesus has already won the battle, already spoiled principality and powers, already sits at the right hand of the Father, and now the action rests with us: Will you believe?
If so, Moody goes on, your life will begin to change. You will start having victory in your life. Victory, in particular, over sins. Therefore he takes a few pages to go over the “internal foes” and “external foes” and how we gain victory over them in our daily walk in Jesus. These include: appetite, temper, patience, jealousy, wordly habits, pleasure, pride, etc. Moody does a fantastic job explaining them in a heart searching way and then goes on to show the reader the way to overcome such foes.
Sermons
The rest of the book is a write out of the few sermons mentioned above. Each sermon gives its own perspective on the “overcoming life” and each one is used by God to convict, convince, and bring you to the feet of Jesus. One of my favorites is a sermon on Humility. He speaks of how valuable this grace is. Even to the extent of saying: “I think that if we are humble, we have all the graces.” He uses many Bible characters to point out this grace and how God truly does “resist the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Conclusion
Luckily this book is still in print so you can still get it on Amazon or elsewhere. It is small and inexpensive so please get it. You can get one for yourself and maybe some more for friends and family. I know it will be a blessing to your soul and will be used by God to bring you closer to Him.
I pray it will push along this “Overcoming Life” and we can all learn much more about the present victory that we have in Jesus. He overcame the world and in Him we have life and victory. Victory over sin, over the devil, and over the world. Let us abide in Him, and He in us, and live for the glory of God for ever and ever. Amen.