The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not burdensome. For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

—1 John 5:3–5

Believing that Jesus is the son of God is the very foundation for overcoming the world. If we believe he is who he says he is, then we must also believe all he said and did as truth, and we will strive to live our lives according to those teachings.

When we’re young Christians, we often test his words like a toddler tests the “no” spoken as he reaches for a hot stove. He does not yet fully believe the words of his parents.

But as we grow in Christ, we should also grow in our faith in his commandments as truth—not as burdensome but for our good, because of his love. He does not want us to be burned.

Anything we do that ignores his commands is contrary to the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, and it will lead to us succumbing to the world rather than overcoming it, because that is not walking in faith.

Only the one who believes Christ is the Son of God will overcome, and that is through the active faith that leads to following his instruction.

We need to look carefully at our lives and take note of the attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and actions that are not in line with belief in Jesus. Those are the things keeping us from overcoming the world.

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