The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Revelation 3:5 (ESV)
Revelation was written specifically to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. These seven churches faced challenges in remaining faithful to the Lord. The proclamation of a Lord other than Caesar would have brought them into conflict with the Roman authorities. And the rejection of the pagan religious practices of their communities would have set them at odds with their culture.
Jesus included a personalized note to each of these seven churches, addressing their specific situation. Some of these churches had remained faithful and suffered accordingly, and Jesus commended them. Others had compromised to some extent, and Jesus offered them appropriate correction. And at the end of each note, he made a promise to those who would conquer.
When we think of conquering, we might think first of the battlefield. The army that emerges on top is the conqueror. Or we might think in terms of sports, politics, or other arenas where there are winners and losers. But in kingdom terminology, conquering is quite different.
How to Conquer
I conquer, not by defeating my enemies, but by being faithful to my Lord, even unto death (Rev. 12:11). From this world’s perspective, I might be a loser. But from the perspective of the One who matters, when I remain faithful regardless of what is happening to me, I am a conqueror.
The promise made to the conquerors in the note to Sardis was threefold. They would be clothed in white, their names would not be blotted out of the book of life, and Jesus would confess their names before His Father and His angels.
I love the picture of Jesus confessing my name before the Father. I can picture standing before the throne of God at the end of this life. And having Jesus come up to me, put His arm around me, and tell the Father, “This one is mine.” And when that happens, all the troubles of this world will be as nothing (Rom. 8:18).
