1 John 5:4 KJV
For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world:
and this is the victory
that overcometh the world,
even our faith.
Other translations
Berean Study Bible
because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
Berean Literal Bible
For everyone having been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory having overcome the world: our faith.
New King James Version
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.
New American Standard Bible
For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
Study
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world
The world, in its maxims, and precepts, and customs, does not rule him, but he is a freeman.
The idea is, that there is a conflict between religion and the world, and that in the heart of every true Christian religion secures the victory, or triumphs. In John 16:33, the Saviour says, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
He obtained a complete triumph over him “who rules the darkness of the world,” and laid the foundation for a victory by his people over all vice, error, and sin.
John makes this affirmation of all who are born of God. “Whatsoever,” or, as the Greek is, “Everything which is begotten of God,” (πᾶν τὸ γεγενημένον – pan to gegenēmenon;) meaning to affirm, undoubtedly, that “in every instance” where one is truly regenerated, there is this victory over the world.
It is one of the settled maxims of religion, that every man who is a true Christian gains a victory over the world; and consequently a maxim as settled, that where the spirit of the world reigns supremely in the heart, there is no true religion.
But, if this be a true principle, how many professed Christians are there who are strangers to all claims of piety – for how many are there who are wholly governed by the spirit of this world!
Because / For
The reason why “His commandments are not grievous.”
Though there is a conflict in keeping them, the sue for the whole body of the regenerate is victory over every opposing influence;
Meanwhile there is a present joy to each believer in keeping them which makes them “not grievous.”
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.
Everyone / Whatsoever
Greek, “all that is begotten of God.”
The neuter expresses the universal whole, or aggregate of the regenerate, regarded as one collective body Joh 3:6; 6:37, 39,
“Where Bengel remarks, that in Jesus’ discourses, what the Father has given Him is called, in the singular number and neuter gender, all whatsoever; those who come to the Son are described in the masculine gender and plural number, they all, or singular, every one.
The Father has given, as it were, the whole mass to the Son, that all whom He gave may be one whole: that universal whole the Son singly evolves, in the execution of the divine plan.”
πᾶν (pan)
Adjective – Nominative Neuter Singular
All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
Born
γεγεννημένον (gegennēmenon)
Verb – Perfect Participle Middle or Passive – Nominative Neuter Singular
From a variation of genos; to procreate; figuratively, to regenerate.
Of
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.
God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun – Genitive Masculine Singular
A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.
Overcomes
νικᾷ (nika)
Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular
To conquer, be victorious, overcome, prevail, subdue. From nike; to subdue.
The
τὸν (ton)
Article – Accusative Masculine Singular
The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
World
All that is opposed to keeping the commandments of God, or draws us off from God, in this world, including our corrupt flesh, on which the world’s blandishments or threats act, as also including Satan, the prince of this world (Joh 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
κόσμον (kosmon)
Noun – Accusative Masculine Singular
Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).
And this is the victory
This is the source or means of the victory which is thus achieved.
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
And, even, also, namely.
This is the victory that overcometh
Greek aorist, “… that hath (already) overcome the world”:
The victory (where faith is) hereby is implied as having been already obtained (1 John 2:13; 4:4).
This
αὕτη (hautē)
Demonstrative Pronoun – Nominative Feminine Singular
This; he, she, it.
Is
ἐστὶν (estin)
Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular
I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.
The
ἡ (hē)
Article – Nominative Feminine Singular
The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Victory
νίκη (nikē)
Noun – Nominative Feminine Singular
Victory, a victorious principle. Apparently a primary word; conquest, i.e. the means of success.
That
ἡ (hē)
Article – Nominative Feminine Singular
The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Has overcome
Forget it not!
You are the soldiers of the overcomer.
νικήσασα (nikēsasa)
Verb – Aorist Participle Active – Nominative Feminine Singular
To conquer, be victorious, overcome, prevail, subdue. From nike; to subdue.
The
τὸν (ton)
Article – Accusative Masculine Singular
The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
World
All that is opposed to keeping the commandments of God, or draws us off from God, in this world, including our corrupt flesh, on which the world’s blandishments or threats act, as also including Satan, the prince of this world (Joh 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
κόσμον (kosmon)
Noun – Accusative Masculine Singular
Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).
Even our faith
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 5:5).
He overcame the world (John 16:33), and it is by that faith which makes us one with Him, and that imbues us with his Spirit, that we are able to do it also.
Our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive 1st Person Plural
I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
Faith
πίστις (pistis)
Noun – Nominative Feminine Singular
Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness
Illustration
The water spider
In nature you will find a wonderful illustration of separation in the life of the water spider.
That wonderful little creature needs air to breathe, as we do, and yet it lives in its cocoon under water, and enjoys life.
Why is this?
Because in a peculiar way it takes beneath the surface supplies of fresh air with which to fill its cocoon, and just breathes an atmosphere of its own, surrounded all the time with an alien element, which, if it rushed in, would speedily kill the little creature.
No need of, nor care for worldly things
A believer walks on this world as a conqueror.
He says of the things here below, as Socrates did when he came into a fair, and saw there sundry commodities to be sold, as another said, “I neither have these things, nor need them, nor care for them”.
Anecdote
When a traveller was asked whether he did not admire the admirable structure of some stately building, “No,” said he, “for I’ve been at Rome, where better are to be seen every day.”
Oh, believer, if the world tempt thee with its rare sights and curious prospects, thou mayest well scorn them, having been, by contemplation, in heaven, and being able, by faith, to see infinitely better delights every hour of the day. “This is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith.” (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Devotional
This is a companion passage to 1 John 2:17
The world is passing away and [also] its lusts;
but the one who does the will of God
continues [to live] forever. (NASB)
Our destiny and future are not limited to the boundaries of existence tied to our little blue planet.
Our future and our hope burst the boundaries of mortality and are tied to our faith in a resurrected and victorious Savior who is coming back to bring us to His eternal home.
This faith is displayed by doing God’s will even when most people in our contemporary culture choose to chase what is fleeting and transient.
Prayer suggestion
- Thank your heavenly Father for the assurance of victory, immortality, reunion, and joy.
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