No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
What is more than victory? Who could want more than to win? How can we be more than conquerors?
Have you ever won an argument, but lost a friend? Or sometimes people spend all their money on a lawsuit just to get back the amount they have spent. In both cases, the person was victorious, but it doesn’t really seem like a victory. There are other examples similar to these and this is where the term ‘hollow victory’ comes from. You might win, but the cost is too high for it to feel like victory.
The good news in Romans 8 is that Jesus has paid the price for the victory for us already. This is another one of those Greek verbs that is continual, we don’t have anything comparable in English. It means we are conquering constantly. Each little fight that comes up will be won because Jesus is continuing to conquer. And even when a circumstance seems like it might be a hollow victory or when it might even look to us like a loss to us, we will overcome. (I’ve read the end of the book!) We still get to be children of God and co-heirs with Christ in the kingdom of heaven. We still get eternal life, we get to walk in the Spirit while we are still on this earth.
I suggest a re-read of chapter 8. It is a great section of scripture. It has some wonderful promises and assurances. Here are a few of my favorites:
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
God works for the good of those who love him.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
We are more than conquerors!