The Difference Between a Survivor and an Overcomer
The contrast between a survivor and an overcomer is as significant as the difference between the wilderness and the Promised Land. While a survivor may live through a terrible attack, in the Kingdom of God, survival alone isn’t enough. An overcomer not only survives but rises up, defeats the enemy, and thrives in victory.
Survivors Versus Overcomers
- Survivors Are Victims: Survivors endure hardship and may continue to carry the pain of their wounds. Their focus remains on the attack and their survival. However, this mindset keeps them in a cycle of victimization, constantly looking back at their suffering.
- Overcomers Are Victorious: Overcomers go beyond just living through the hardship—they conquer it. They emerge not with open wounds but with scars, symbolizing their healing and victory, just like Jesus’ scars after the crucifixion. They don’t dwell in their past trauma but rise stronger and full of hope.
- Survivors Keep Peace: Survivors often choose peacekeeping, much like the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. They avoid conflict, doing whatever is necessary to maintain their survival, even if it means tolerating wrongs. Unfortunately, peacekeeping doesn’t always solve problems—it can leave underlying issues unaddressed.
- Overcomers Make Peace: Overcomers are peace makers, like the sons of God mentioned in Matthew 5:9. They don’t merely maintain peace—they actively pursue justice. By confronting the bully, the oppressor, or the challenge, they bring about true freedom and lasting peace. They are the ones who enter the battle and emerge victorious.
The Mentality of a Survivor versus an Overcomer
Survivors often live life in reference to the trauma they have experienced. Their mindset is, “Look at my wounds! I’m still bleeding, so help me.” They continue to feel the pain of their past and let it define their future.
Overcomers, on the other hand, carry a different outlook. They have gone through the fire, but they don’t smell like smoke. Like Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, they come out of their trials victorious, untouched by the trauma, and they rejoice in their “battle scars,” which signify their strength and resilience. They proclaim, “Look at my scars! Aren’t they glorious?”
Spiritual Promises for Overcomers
The most significant distinction between survivors and overcomers is the inheritance of God’s promises. The book of Revelation highlights 17 promises specifically reserved for overcomers. These promises extend beyond mere survival; they speak of eternal rewards and divine authority.
Here are some of the profound promises found in the book of Revelation:
- Revelation 1:3 says “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. “
- Eternal Life and the Tree of Life: Revelation 2:7 says: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” This is all about having eternal life and redemption from Adam and Eve’s original sin. Total restoration with God is the way it is supposed to be where we taste and see that the Lord is good.
- Victory Over the Second Death: Revelation 2:11 says: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” The overcomer doesn’t have to worry about being separated from God ever again. We will be in His presence and in the fullness of joy.
- Hidden Manna and a New Name: Revelation 2:17 says: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” Jesus is the hidden manna. The Bible says in John 6:32-33: “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” A white stone is the promise of acquittal. It refers back to when a person was tried for a crime the judge hearing the case would make their decision by giving either a white stone, which signified the person was innocent, or a black stone, which signified he was guilty. God promises an overcomer a white stone meaning He says you are not found guilty.
- Power Over Nations: Revelation 2:26 says: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations”
- White Garment and The Book of Life:: Revelation 3:5 says: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
- Pillars in God’s Temple and The New Jerusalem: Revelation 3:12 says: “ He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” We will receive the promise of a specific identity of New Jerusalem: “and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem…”
- Sitting on the Throne: Revelation 3:21 says: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
- Inheritance of All Things: Revelation 21:7 says: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”
While survivors may live through trials and challenges, overcomers transcend them. They live in victory, inherit God’s promises, and move from survival to thriving in the Kingdom of God. If you’re striving to overcome in your spiritual journey, take heart in these promises, for they are your inheritance in Christ.
The difference between the two is profound: while survivors exist, overcomers thrive. Which will you choose to be?
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