Leslie Basham: The greatest conqueror of all time didn't look like much in the world's eyes. Nancy Leigh DeMoss explains.
Nancy Leigh DeMoss: You see, Christ's conquering is the pattern for our conquering. His conquering, His nikao, was accomplished how? By His death on the cross.
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Leslie: This is Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss for Wednesday, December 9. Jesus addressed seven churches in the book of Revelation and ended each message, "To him who overcomes." When you really understand what that phrase means, it will deeply affect the way you live. Learn what it means to overcome as Nancy continues in the series, The Cure for a Lukewarm Faith.
Nancy: When I say the word nike, what comes to your mind? Swoosh! What else comes to your mind? Michael Jordan? Sneakers? Basketball? Victory! Did you know that the word nike relates to the ancient, Greek goddess of victory? The goddess Nike personified triumph or strength, and that word, Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, is related to two other important Greek words as we look at these letters to the churches in Revelation.
There's the word, nike, which is spelled n-i-k-e but pronounced nee-kay, which in the Greek means "conquest" or "victory," and then there's the word nikao, n-i-k-a-o, nikao, which means "to subdue," "to prevail," "to win a victory," "to conquer." This word, nikao, to conquer, to overcome, is used 15 times in the book of Revelation. It's an important word as Jesus gives this message to the church and tells us about the things that are and the things that are yet to come.
The word victory or overcoming or conquering is an important word. Nikao--think Nike. Think victory and triumph. At the end of each of the seven letters as we've looked at them over these last weeks, we have seen this phrase, "To the one who conquers," or "To the one who overcomes," depending on your translation. That's that word, nikao, "I will give," something, and there is a promise, a reward, a blessing promised to the one who overcomes or conquers, the one who nikao.
The churches in 1st century Asia Minor were faced with a temptation to compromise, to accommodate to the world, to fit in, and sadly, some were giving in to that temptation. They were being overcome by Satan and by the world's system, overcome by the opposition, overcome by the attacks, overcome by false teaching. Instead of them being overcomers, they were being overcome. They were being nikao. So Jesus exhorted them to be conquerors, to be overcomers.
