For years, I wrestled with the phrase “more than conquerors.” I could not figure out what it means. Recently, I preached a sermon on “Victory in Jesus,” and this phrase came out inevitably. I tried to explain it using the Greek word “hupernikaō.”
The Greek word “nikao,” from which we get the name “Nike,” means “to conquer; to be victorious.”
If Paul had said “conquerors” only, that would have been enough, but he did not. He added the prefix “huper” in front of “nikao” and merged them into one new word, “hupernikao.” This is very significant. “Huper,” from which we get the word “hyper,” means “over, beyond, more than.” It is used to express something way above, and beyond excessive, like hypersonic. “Sonic” refers to the speed of sound. When we say something is flying at “supersonic” speed, it travels faster than the speed of sound. But, when we say a missile is travelling at hypersonic speed, it is travelling at 5 times the speed of sound.
Paul is saying we are not just conquerors but hyper-conquerors. It sounds good. Still, what does it mean? So, I checked out what others have said. These are what I get:
“Overwhelming victory.”
“Super victory.”
“Unsurpassed victory.”
“Keep on winning a glorious victory.”
“We are invincible.”
They sound good – we keep winning all the way. Still, I do not think it brings out the full force of the word “hupernikaō” that Paul is trying to show us.
Whether Alexander the Great conquered half of Asia or the world, he was still a conqueror. Whether one won a single Olympic gold medal or ten gold medals, he is still an Olympian gold medallist. Thus, the word “more than conquerors” does not mean much at all.
While preparing another sermon, this thought suddenly appeared in my mind. Could it be that Paul is saying “we are more than the conquerors of this world”? It means….
We are BETTER than the conquerors of this world.
We are GREATER than the conquerors of this world.
We are MORED BLESSED than the conquerors of this world.
We are MORE PRIVILEGED than the conquerors of this world.
We are MORE THAN JUST conquerors of this world.
Feeling “enlightened,” I go back to the text where the term is used.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The CONTEXT: The Christians were under persecution. The devil was trying to break the Christians into renouncing their faith. He did it through a series of persecutions, afflictions, and even killing them. Outwardly, it seemed the devil was winning: “We are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (v.36).
Yet, Paul said they were more than conquerors! How could it be? How were they conquerors when they were persecuted and died?
But read again what Paul said: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (v.37).
Are they losers? Paul said, “Nay.” It means “In no way. Because we are more than conquerors.”
Notice these four words after Nay - “in all these things.” "In all these things" refers to the afflictions, distresses, persecutions, famine, nakedness, sword, or any other thing of the same kind. So, all these things may happen unto us, but in all these things we are more than conquerors. We will triumph over each one of them. No matter what our circumstances, we will overcome them
Why are the superpowers today afraid of hypersonic missiles? Because they are unstoppable; there is nothing that can stop a hypersonic missile. We are “hypernikao” means we are like the hypersonic missile – UNSTOPPABLE! None of those things can stop us from having faith in God.
To understand further, we go to Revelation chapters 2 and 3 and look at the exhortations that Christ gave to the seven churches (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 12).
Every one of those exhortations begins with these words, “Him that overcometh” or “He that overcometh.”
The word “overcometh” is the same Greek word “nikaō” which means “to conquer.”
Those that “overcometh” were those who have conquered the persecutions and afflictions and were not afraid to die. They conquered their fear of death. They were rewarded: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10b).
The apostle Paul knew he was going to die a martyr. Did he tremble and quit the faith? He did not. He was a conqueror: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
The Christians who died for the cause of Christ were hyper-conquerors. They were better, greater, and more blessed than the conquerors of this world. How?
1. Conquerors of this world win with swords and chariots; we win by FAITH: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). Even the least in the kingdom of God is a conqueror.
2. Conquerors of this world depend on their own might; we depend on God to fight our battles: “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee” (1 Samuel 17:45-46).
3. Conquerors of this world win physical warfare; we win spiritual warfare: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
4. Conquerors of this world conquer others; we conquer all of life’s obstacles. We win over persecutions, afflictions, sickness, misfortunes, and death (Romans 8:38, 39; 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9).
5. Conquerors of this world win in one area; we win in all. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).
6. Conquerors of this world win a corruptible crown; we win an incorruptible (1 Corinthians 9:25). The apostle Peter says our trophy is eternal: “To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4, ESV).
7. Conquerors of this world die; we live forever. Paul wrote: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Do you see it now? We are amazingly above and beyond the conquerors of this world. As Exodus 14:14 say: "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still."
Nothing can stop us from being a conqueror. We can overcome all our obstacles. No attempt of the enemy can steal the loving care of God from our lives, and that makes us more than conquerors through Christ who loves us: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).
We win on every front. Ultimately, we will have the final and decisive victory!
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).