Thank you for your good question. Let us read 1 John 5:4-5 using the NASB. “For whatever is 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 he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Let us first understand what these verses are NOT discussing. They are NOT saying that Christians should pick up visible weapons to fight the evil in this world. We read in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” (NASB). 1 John 5:4-5 are also NOT saying that the world means all of the people living on the Earth and that we should conquer unbelievers in a military battle. When we read “For God so loved the world” in John 3:16, that verse IS talking about all of the people in the world.

However, 1 John 5:4-5 are talking about overcoming the world system through faith. The world system is controlled by Satan. We read in 1 John 5:19, “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (NASB). What is the world system? We read in 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (NASB).

The world system has many temptations that can get a Christian’s eyes off Christ and ruin a believer’s testimony. 1 John 5:4-5 make it plain that every believer HAS OVERCOME the world because every believer has faith. Therefore, our standing is that we have overcome the world. However, does our current state or behavior reflect that standing? Overcoming the world through faith on a daily basis is having the spiritual maturity to keep our eyes on Christ, who we cannot physically see, instead of falling into the temptations all around us. We read in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (NASB). 

So how do we increase our faith so that our position as overcomers is experienced in our daily practice? We read in Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” We need to spend time each day feeding on the Word of God in order to keep our eyes on Christ and not be drawn away by the enticing things of Satan’s world system. Dear believer, all of us are in a battle. It is not a physical battle, but a spiritual one. We read in Ephesians 6:10-13, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  (DJ)  (573.3)